Release date: October 2009

In July this year the Centre for Social Justice, which was established in 2004, published a report called 'Every Family Matters'. This report contains 130 recommendations proposing broad policy changes and specific law reforms. The full report is available from www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk.

We can be proud of our family justice system. It has many benefits and advantages enshrined in statutes and cases decided by the Judges over the years. It has been much copied abroad. However in the face of substantial family relationship breakdown across the country, and with significant parliamentary neglect over the last 40 years, the time has come for a wholesale overhaul of the English family justice system to support families. The recommendations in the report aim to address the issue of family relationship breakdown and to improve family life.

The importance of the family cannot be overstated. A child's physical, emotional and psychological development takes place within the family environment. It is where the vast majority of us learn the fundamental skills for life. It is a building block of society. However family stability in the UK has been under threat for decades. The emotional and personal cost to individuals of family breakdown is high. The direct cost to government, employment, housing, crime and health is significant. The indirect costs are also large. The cost to society of family relationship breakdown needs to be addressed for economic as well as social reasons.

The report argues for a holistic set of reforms looking at the whole process from when relationships start, during the relationship, when relationships break down and then ways of addressing relationship breakdown and how to resolve those issues. Rather than ad hoc piecemeal changes the report proposes that there should be certain family law principles that apply to all relationship breakdowns.

Whether or not you agree with the proposals or the contents of the website, the report gives much food for thought and ought not to be ignored as it affects most people in this country.

To discuss any matter concerning family law, please contact John Lewis at Close Thornton on 01325 466461 or John Lewis

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