Family law courts ‘too secretive’ says Minister for Justice

Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has said family law courts have been “far too secretive” and there needs to be a new balance between privacy of individual families and accountability in the courts process.

Speaking in Dublin where she announced the selection of a site at Hammond Lane for a new family law courts building, Ms Fitzgerald said she wanted to see the “maximum public information out there about what happens in family courts”.

She said media had only recently been allowed into the family law courts but had a significant role to play and had been acting responsibly in relation to personal details about vulnerable families.

“In the past family law courts have been far too secretive. There is no question about that,” she said.

Ms Fitzgerald said it was “extremely important” the public understand the challenging and complex family issues before the courts, including those relating to custody and access.

“We have a long way to go towards improving how we deal with many of those issues and public information can only help that” she said.

Ms Fitzgerald was speaking as she and Minister of State with Special Responsibility for the OPW Simon Harris visited the site for the new family law courts building, in the company of the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Susan Denham.

The site at Hammond Lane is located at the heart of the capital’s legal district, between the Four Courts and the Courts Service building, and is beside the Luas Red Line.

The new centre will bring together a range of mediation and judicial services which are currently provided in three different locations in Dublin.

While there is as yet no design for the new building and a budget has not been allocated Ms Fitzgerald said a feasibility study would begin immediately.

“The budget will be the type of budget that will ensure we have the type of modern courts service that we need” she said. “Obviously it will take some time to deliver, this is about announcing the basic principle that this is the site.”

Mrs Justice Denham said families accessing the family law courts were “very vulnerable” and the proposed centre was “something we have been looking for, for a very long time”.