London councils form groupings to handle care cases after tri-borough pilot

The tri-borough pilot in London – involving Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham councils – has led to a further 23 local authorities in the capital forming similar groupings, the President of the Family Division has reported.

In his fifth View from the President’s Chambers, published earlier this month, Lord Justice Munby said there were now eight groupings involving 26 councils sharing legal services or otherwise co-ordinating their handling of care cases. They comprise:

  1. Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham;
  2. Barnet, Enfield, Haringey;
  3. Camden, Islington;
  4. Brent, Ealing, Harrow;
  5. Richmond, Kingston, Hounslow, Merton, Sutton;
  6. Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich;
  7. Newham, Redbridge, Barking & Dagenham, Waltham Forest; and
  8. Bexley, Bromley.

“That leaves just seven local authorities at present un-grouped, though further developments are likely to reduce this number,” the judge said.

Lord Justice Munby added: “Our planning for the new Family Courts in London must reflect these developments and the views of the local authorities as to where their care cases should be issued. We must also, of course, have regard to the volumes of care cases coming from the various local authorities.”

In his latest View from the President’s Chambers, the judge provided a more comprehensive update on the arrangements for London when the Single Family Court is introduced.

Under the proposed new structure for the capital, there will be three Family Courts, each with its own designated family judge and designated family centre. One will be in the centre of London at First Avenue House, a second in the east at Exchange Tower in Docklands, and a third in the west.

The structure will see each of these three courts:

  • Have a ‘single point of entry’ and a centralised and unified administration;
  • Serve a number of local authorities;
  • Have a number of linked hearing centres.

The hearing of care cases will be confined to a limited number of courts.

Private law and divorce cases will be handled by all three designated family judges and their linked hearing centres, though some specialist jurisdictions may be reserved to the designated family centres.

In the View from the President’s Chambers the President once again reiterated his view on the magistracy. “I do not accept, I have never accepted, that magistrates are unsuited for family work or, in particular, for public law cases," he said.

"Quite the contrary. So Magistrates will play a vitally important part as judges in the Family Court. And the same goes, of course, for the District Judges (Magistrates’ Court).”

However, he added that wherever possible all the judges of the Family Court would sit under the same roof. As a result, magistrates, like other judges in the new Family Court, might find themselves sitting in different places than those they are familiar with.

“This is not merely inevitable – it is also highly desirable if we are to make the most of the enormous opportunities for improvement of the family justice system that the creation of the new Family Court makes possible," the judge said.

In a final comment, Lord Justice Munby said: “We have a wonderful opportunity to make the family justice system in London something we can all be proud of, as also to revitalise First Avenue House. I urge you all, whatever your role in the family justice system, to do your part in enabling me to realise the vision. To repeat in this context a slogan I have previously used: it can be done, it must be done, it will be done.”