Call for joined‑up solutions in family justice at Stormont event

The “Joining Up Family Justice” event brought together key stakeholders to examine the resources and partnerships needed to address the issues facing families in crisis, and how these crises do not exist in isolation - they are deeply interconnected with the health and wellbeing of parents and children, housing, and economic security.

Critical areas were addressed in a panel discussion chaired by Her Honour Judge Fiona Bagnall and featuring senior representatives from Women’s Aid, Children’s Law Centre, the Bar of Northern Ireland, and the Law Society of Northern Ireland.

Speakers examined how focusing on a whole‑system approach to family justice can improve access to justice and deliver better outcomes for families and wider society. Attendees heard what a truly joined-up family justice system would look like in practice as well as the obstacles that are currently standing in the way of this existing. 

The event also explored the importance of ending violence against women and girls and child protection as central issues in the context of family justice. 

The All Party Group on Access to Justice Secretariat, the Bar of Northern Ireland and the Law Society of Northern Ireland, jointly said: “Family justice does not exist in isolation, and neither should the response to it. What we see in practice is that the pressures facing families are rarely singular — they are interconnected and often longstanding. 

“A family coming through the justice system may simultaneously be dealing with financial hardship, housing instability, the impact of domestic abuse or the needs of children who will experience great life changes as a result of family court decisions.

“Today highlighted the importance of different services and sectors working together in the genuine interests of the families that we are all trying to support.”

The event was chaired by Stewart Dickson MLA, chair of the All-Party Group on Access to Justice. He said: “Family justice touches every part of society, and today’s event was a valuable opportunity to hear from the experts and practitioners who work within it every day.

“The families who come into contact with the justice system are often doing so at the hardest moments of their lives, and they deserve a system that is genuinely built around their needs.

“This event was another useful step in the longer process of building a family justice system in Northern Ireland that genuinely serves the families who need it most.”