New court model to “bolster coordination” between family court and agencies such as councils and police when dealing with allegations of domestic abuse

The Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, confirmed yesterday (17 March) that Child Focused Courts – formerly known as Pathfinder Courts – will be expanded across the whole of England and Wales.

Under the new model, the courts will identify any risks to the children’s welfare more quickly – for example, when they are experiencing domestic abuse – while streamlining court processes to reduce delays.

The model also aims to “bolster coordination” between the family court and agencies, such as local authorities and the police, particularly when dealing with allegations of domestic abuse and other harms.

The Ministry of Justice noted: “This should reduce the number of returning cases, protecting children and families from further trauma.”

The move follows a successful trial period in several areas which saw family court backlogs halve and cases resolved up to seven and a half months faster, according to the MoJ.

Child Focused Courts currently operate in 10 of 43 court areas in England and Wales, including all of Wales, Birmingham, the West Midlands, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and West Yorkshire.

Backed by £17m in Government funding for the next financial year, the model will initially be rolled out across Northumbria and North Durham, Cleveland and South Durham, Lancashire, Cumbria, York and North Yorkshire, Cheshire and Merseyside, Northamptonshire, and Coventry and Warwickshire.

It will then expand across the rest of England and Wales over the upcoming financial years.

The move follows other changes designed to protect both child and adult victims from violence and abuse.

These include the Courts and Tribunal Bill, through which the Government will repeal the presumption of parental involvement from the Children Act 1989, moving away from the idea of the ‘rights’ of parents and instead focusing on children’s safety.

David Lammy said: “Court backlogs are not just numbers on a page. When it comes to the family courts, they represent victims waiting, families in limbo and children and domestic abuse victims left to linger in harm’s way.

“That is why the national rollout of the Child Focused Courts matters so much. It will protect, support and hear the voices of children, helping family courts make safe and fair decisions without delay.

“It also shows that, through innovative reforms, we can make our courts work better, tackle delays and bring down the backlog so more victims and families get the swift justice they deserve.”

Justice Minister Baroness Levitt KC said: “No child should have to live with fear, uncertainty or the shadow of conflict hanging over their everyday life. Behind every case is a young person who needs reassurance, protection and the chance to simply be a child.

“By rolling out Child Focused Courts nationally, we can help spare more children the pain of drawn-out proceedings, deliver swifter justice for families while making sure support comes earlier when it is needed most.

“This is about giving children and their families safety, stability and the best possible foundation for a healthy future.”

Commenting on the new model, Lisa Harker, Director of Nuffield Family Justice Observatory said: "We are delighted to see plans for the national roll out of Child Focused Courts (formerly Private Law Pathfinder Courts).

"This approach puts a much stronger emphasis on listening to children and working with agencies to support families where there has been domestic abuse.

"Improving children’s experience of family court proceedings requires changes to the way we provide information to children before court, increasing the number of opportunities we give them to express their needs, wishes and feelings, and ensuring that the outcomes of decisions are clearly explained to children by the professionals who make them.

"It is important that we measure what matters – how children experience proceedings and whether their lives improve as a result of the decisions that are made - not just how quickly decisions are made."

Lottie Winson