On the 9th June 2011 Mary and John attended the Hertfordshire Family Forum at the University of Hertfordshire School of Law. The speaker was Sir Nicholas Wall, President of the Family Division and he gave a talk on The View from the President’s TVO Office. Sir Nicholas spoke on current issues including the Family Justice Review chaired by David Norgrave. Sir Nicholas said it was clear that David Norgrave is listening to representations which are being made to him and it seems that on some issues David Norgrave has modified his initial views. There now appears to be a greater recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of legal work undertaken in the Family Courts.
One of Sir Nicholas’s main themes was the importance ascribed by the judiciary by active case management to maintain momentum and focus. He spoke about the role of Magistrates’ in the system and was pleased to hear about the relationships between the judiciary at Watford County Court and local Magistrates. The forum offered an opportunity for the usual range of intelligent and informed discussion by practitioners within the system including Judges, Magistrates, lawyers and from Social Services and health professionals.
