Resolution has welcomed family justice commitments made by all major parties in their respective manifestos ahead of the General Election 2024.
Resolution is encouraged by the Liberal Democrats and Labour pledging to extend legal rights to cohabiting couples, as well as the Conservatives’ pledge to expand the Pathfinder Courts pilot in family court proceedings.
Grant Cameron, Chair of Resolution’s National Committee says: “It is vital that the family justice system meets the need of today’s modern families. We urge whoever forms the next government to make this a priority so that we can achieve the call for Cohabitation Reform set out in our Vision for Family Justice.”
By backing our calls for action, parties are committing to advocate and support the following policies in the next Parliament:
- Cohabitation: The law relating to cohabiting partners on separation needs to be reformed.
- Helping families to find solutions: There should be more public funding for early legal information and advice.
- Protecting the vulnerable: More needs to be done to support and protect victims of domestic abuse in the family court, and ensure children are supported.
- Family courts: Preventing further closures of family courts.
- Making family law fit for purpose: Hearing the voice of the child in child arrangements proceedings and allocating more resource to the public children law system.
Resolution wants all parties to understand that these recommendations are essential for improving the family justice system, reducing conflict, and providing necessary protection and support for separating couples and any children they may have.
The manifestos have been launched in the week Resolution has called on members to contact local candidates in the run-up to the election, providing them with a toolkit to make them aware of Resolution’s Vision for Family Justice.
Grant Cameron added, “It is vital to ensure as many people standing for election as possible understand the improvements that need to be made to the family justice system, and Resolution members have a key role to play in making these recommendations known.”
