Family Court

The Family Court Pilot was established in 2004 with jurisdiction over specific family matters at the High Court and Magistrates’ Court levels. The approach to administering justice is less adversarial and more conciliatory. The court provides support to families while they pursue litigation.

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Services

Resolution Support Services

The Family Court offers a range of related support services that are all located within one building. It is therefore a virtual “one-stop-shop” and multi-door court house. Mediation is readily available and an Intake Officer can now refer partied to this service. However Counseling services at the Court has to be a court referral. The Intake Officer can refer persons, who are in need of special types of assistance that are not provided by the Court to other agencies, psychologists and psychiatrists etc. The success of this pilot demonstrates the benefits to be gained from collaboration between the Judiciary and external agencies.

Special Facilities

The Family Court has Children and Youth Waiting Rooms for the convenience of parents and children in Court. The Children’s Waiting Room is well equipped with toys and activities for small children above the ages of three (3) months to ten (10) years. There are three (3) specially trained officers that supervise the room and admittance to this facility is free of charge.

The Youth Waiting Room has an audiovisual lounge, educational puzzles, computers and other activities to keep children above the age to ten (10) years to seventeen (17) years old occupied and entertained. There are three (3) specially trained officers that supervise the room and admittance to this facility is free of charge.

The Family Court also houses its very own library, which is a part of the Court Library Services System and caters for all Judicial Officers and the staff of the Family Court and Attorneys-at-Law. This system is specially designed to complement the unique features of the Family Court, which amalgamates judicial, social and mediation services, focusing on family law and materials relevant to socio-legal issues in relation to the family.

Special facilities are also extended to non-English speaking customers, the physically challenged and the visually and hearing impaired who have business before the Court.

The Court continues to look for new and innovative way to improve its customer service delivery both to its internal and external customers and so as the Court is poised to move from a pilot to an established nationwide system, it will continue to evolve in terms of its form and function.