Focus on Safety goes live
One hundred organisations and specialists from the family violence, sexual violence and adult safeguarding sectors have joined forces, under the banner of “Focus on Safety", to call for family justice system reforms that protect child and adult victim-survivors.
All of Aotearoa New Zealand wants a family justice system which protects child and adult victim-survivors from further violence and abuse, enabling them to heal and live free, independent lives. But right now, throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, the Family Court is failing to protect many children, adults at risk and victim-survivors from family violence (FV), sexual violence (SV), neglect and exploitation, and failing to support their recovery and wellbeing. Family Court currently makes decisions (eg about care for children) not knowing if there is family violence or sexual violence being perpetrated by someone in the family. Other countries have similar problems in their Family Courts, and some are taking steps towards safer family justice systems to enable consistently safer outcomes in cases involving family violence, sexual violence, neglect or exploitation – in particular Australia and the UK. It is high time Aotearoa New Zealand did too.
Our nationwide collaboration has developed seven key reforms to ensure the Family Court responds safely to children, adults at risk and adult victim-survivors. These reforms would ensure a specialist approach in the Family Court, staffed by specialist family violence and sexual violence experts and with greater transparency regarding Family Court processes and outcomes. The reforms also aim to ensure access to justice is available for more victim-survivors via legal aid grants for Family Court proceedings, enhanced immigration and visa pathways and a statutory adult safeguarding system responsible for protecting adults at risk.
Over coming months, Focus on Safety will be pushing for action on our seven reforms. We will be speaking in the media, meeting with policy teams and ministers and encouraging more organisations to join our collaboration. Keep an eye out for our update sharing responses from political parties to our set of reforms.
We look forward to sharing updates with you about our ongoing campaign to create a safer family justice system.
