Survivors and children are being ‘let down and retraumatised’ by their experiences in the family courts, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs has said
In a report, Improving the family court response to domestic abuse, Jacobs said the stakes could not be higher because ‘evidence suggests that over 60% of cases relate to domestic abuse’ where child contest is contested. She called on the government, as a matter of priority, to implement the Ministry of Justice’s 2020 Harm Panel report recommendation for a monitoring mechanism.
Her report sets out proposals for the mechanism, which have been drawn up after consultation with judges, lawyers and other family professionals. This would help develop an ‘evidence base’ to improve accountability. Jacobs said ‘Currently, very little data on domestic abuse-related cases is gathered by the family court—so it’s hard to get a full picture of what survivors are facing’.
Read the report here.
