Lawyers welcome support for vulnerable witnesses

Family lawyers have welcomed the Children and Vulnerable Witnesses and Children Working Group’s final report.

The group, set up by Sir James Munby, president of the Family Division, advocates greater support for domestic abuse victims and recommends extending the definition of “vulnerable” to include intimidated witnesses.

It recommends that the Family Court hear evidence from pre-school age children, and states: “Those young people that the working group heard from do not expect, or even want, the judge to do as they say; they want to know that they have been listened to and this perceived (and in many cases actual) defect cannot be cured with by meeting the judge or tribunal alone if at all.”

Elspeth Thomson, Resolution’s spokesperson on legal aid, says: “The family courts have for some time lagged well behind the criminal courts in their provision of safe and inclusive procedures for vulnerable witnesses.

“This shortfall was exacerbated by the loss of most family legal aid, which has led to, in some cases, victims of domestic violence being cross-examined by their abuser. We welcome the Children and Vulnerable Witnesses Working Group’s recognition that the family courts need reform to make them a less hostile environment.”