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Governent Announces Move to Protect Abuse Victims

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Major overhaul of family courts to protect domestic abuse victims is revealled

The government has announced an overhaul of how the Family Court deals with domestic abuse to provide greater protection to survivors of domestic abuse.

Proposed reforms include:

 • more victims of domestic abuse being given access to separate building entrances and waiting rooms as well as protective screens to shield them from their alleged abuser in court

 • stronger powers for judges to issue barring orders which prevent abusive ex-partners from repeatedly dragging their victims back to court—which can be used as a form of continuing domestic abuse

 • fundamental reform of how courts hear cases through a new investigative court process will be trialled as part of the Integrated Domestic Abuse Courts pilot—these consider family and criminal matters in parallel in order to provide more consistent support for victims. Emphasis will be placed on getting to the root of an issue and ensuring all parties are safe and able to provide evidence on an equal footing—without the re-traumatising effects of being in court with an abusive ex-partner

For the full article see Family Law

If you are a victim of domestic abuse and need advice you can call us in the strictest of confidence on 01708 333711 or email Laura Hanford who will be happy to help.

Some additional guidance can be found here:

Gov.uk

Womens Aid

National Helpline

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