Family Courts must stay in Brent - Teather

12.39.31pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 1st Nov 2006

Sarah Teather MP and Cllr Rev. David Clues meeting with representatives of Brent's Family Court

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East, Sarah Teather, has today met with representatives of Brent's threatened Family Court. The Borough's family magistrates and district judge have strong concerns over the new proposals, and appealed to the local MP, Sarah Teather, to help keep the family courts in Brent.

The Courts Service have proposed that, in the future, family work from Brent should be dealt with at Barnet County Court, Uxbridge County Court, or at Wells Street in W1. The Courts Service has admitted that Barnet and Uxbridge are not accessible to all via public transport.

This would leave vulnerable and disadvantaged families forced to travel to centres outside Brent, at their own cost. Brent Council would also be subject to the additional cost of ensuring social workers and legal representatives can reach these more distant courthouses.

The facilities for the family service in Brent are widely recognised to be outstanding. Unusually, Brent also has a sitting district judge with a particular expertise in family issues. This allows judicial oversight of often complex cases. A dedicated domestic violence unit is also to open in Brent Magistrates Courts early next year, which with the family courts service also on site, would allow a coherent approach to family issues.

Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather is writing to the Lord Chancellor to object to these proposals.

Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

"I am extremely angry about this ill-thought through proposal to axe Brent's family courts. It is the young and the most vulnerable in this Borough who will suffer from these proposals.

"This is being driven by cost with no concerns about access to justice. But even on cost and efficiency grounds the proposals are naive. Given the excellent facilities in Brent and wide ranging expertise, how can it be more efficient to carve up a coherent system? As a local MP, I have seen many Government initiatives in three years that seem deaf to reason or compassion, but this is one of the most galling.

"I shall be explaining to the Lord Chancellor in no uncertain terms that Brent issues must be dealt with in Brent. The Court's Service has already admitted that it is difficult to get to alternative courts via public transport. They must recognise that these proposals are fundamentally flawed and scrap their plans to axe our Family Courts."