Dominic Raab, Minister of Justice and Deputy Prime Minister, called for ‘Bold and Radical’ ideas on the reform of the Family ‘Justice’ system.

‘Supporting earlier resolution private law arrangements. Deadline 15 June – so more in next month's newsletter.

We have plenty of bold and radical ideas.  But Raab would never make it as a magician.  For all the smoke and mirrors, what he has produced from his hat is – a mouse.

Tweaking arrangements for mediation, in the hope that this will reduce the pressure on the courts.

Welcome, of course, if people can be diverted from the horrors of litigation, but there are these doubts about mediation.

It can cause delay, during which time the children are usually under the control of one of their parents, with all the knock-on effects of that.

Secondly, it is between the parents. Like the family courts, but thankfully not adversarial. What is needed is some mechanism to make the welfare of the children the primary focus

Thirdly, and most important. It remains less an alternative to litigation, but none the less, negotiations in the shadow of them. Something we sometimes hear being said explicitly, but present in all meetings is this. The mother who has control of the children saying this. ‘Why should I be talked out of what the courts will give me? ‘

However, a glimmer of hope. That it will be an opportunity to meet Ministers and civil servants and possibly counter some of the misinformation on which they currently see to depend.

What do you think?

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