British MPs explore role of family courts in tackling gender-based violence

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The Bar Council hosted a roundtable on tackling violence against women and girls in Merseyside, which discussed the integral role both the criminal and family courts play in resolving violence, and the impact court delays can have on successfully convicting perpetrators.

The event, which was hosted at Exchange Chambers on Friday 7 March, included contributions from Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson and Emma Kay of The First Step, an independent specialist domestic abuse service in Knowsley.

A recent report, ‘Femicide in Merseyside’, found that of 63 Merseyside women killed by men between 2009 and 2023, 95% had known their killers and 56% of the killings had been by men with whom the women were, or had been, in an intimate relationship. Domestic abuse related killings account for 85% of all femicides in Merseyside – higher than the national average of 75%.

The roundtable discussion considered the impact of domestic abuse on victims in Merseyside. The participants highlighted the need to look beyond punishment of offenders, and considered how the family and criminal courts can help with prevention, treatment and lowering risks to women and girls. It highlighted the impact that court delays can have on convicting perpetrators and the shortage of courses available for those convicted. Several trends were identified –  for example, delays in cases coming to court can lead to a reconciliation with the alleged perpetrator and,  in some cases, can result in a woman providing a personal statement in support of the defendant. Data showed that, if cases were coming to court within six months, instead of 18 months, there would be more chance of conviction and less chance of reconciliation, which could result in further harm.

A new family drug and alcohol court (FDAC) is due to open in Liverpool in April. FDAC is an alternative family court for care proceedings designed to work with parents who struggle with drug and alcohol misuse, but parents will often have other difficulties as well, including experiences of domestic abuse. Women can be fearful of reporting domestic abuse due to it sometimes leading to the removal of their children. Problem-solving courts, like FDAC, can support children remaining at home or reuniting with parents at the end of care proceedings.

Therefore, the Bar Council emphasised that the government’s spending review “must invest in the family justice system if it is to end the horrific roll call of violence and the deaths of women”.

Commenting after the roundtable discussion, Barbara Mills KC, chair of the Bar Council, said: “In Merseyside the vast majority of women and girls are harmed not by strangers but by men who profess to love them. Often that abuse takes place within the family home and that’s why the family courts – as well as the criminal courts – are so essential in tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG). We want to change the narrative so that every time people talk about VAWG, they think about the family justice system, as well as criminal justice.

“Bringing together family and criminal barristers in our roundtable discussion, it was clear that both elements must be part of the solution and need to work together…it is critical that these initiatives get the financial resources and multi-disciplinary team they need to be effective.”