Conway calls for a pioneering Family Drug and Alcohol Court

Fine Gael Clare Senator and Seanad Spokesperson on Justice and Disability, Martin Conway, has called on the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald TD, to review the recent success of London’s pioneering Family Drug and Alcohol Court and to consider the establishment of a similar court in Ireland.

“London’s Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) is a strikingly successful example of a court innovating to deal with complex problems. FDAC works with substance misusing parents who are at risking of having their children removed. By working with a specialist treatment team and calling in parents for regular progress reviews, FDAC judges give families a chance to stay together where possible.

“This successful justice innovation offers lessons to us about how to put such a court into practice. While Minister Fitzgerald has recently announced the establishment of a pilot Community Court in Dublin, examples of court innovation are still too few and far between.

“I have consistently called on the Government to divert low-level anti-social behaviour cases into community-led restorative justice panels. This will improve victims’ experiences and make it possible to reach effective decisions by specialising in certain types of issues such as domestic violence or drug addiction.

“I believe that innovation can make our courts better, faster and more effective at reducing crime. The Government should consider how best to reform the governance of courts in order to deepen local discretion and judicial empowerment. In particular I believe Minister Fitzgerald should consider the introduction of a Family Drug and Alcohol Court.”