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Magistrates' Domestic Courts - New Perspectives

NCJ Number
96203
Editor(s)
T F Marshall
Date Published
1984
Length
54 pages
Annotation
This publication reports the proceedings of a conference held in London (England) during May 1984 to address the most recent findings on the type of cases coming before magistrates' domestic courts and the variation among courts in organization, procedure, and outcomes.
Abstract
Conference presentations include findings of a 3-year research project focusing on conciliation and reconciliation in magistrates' domestic courts. The study concludes that in accepting the twin concepts of an interactive system and the value of a conciliatory approach, the courts seem to be moving towards greater flexibility in responding to the diversity of family situations in the cases. The courts also seem willing to share their role with others in the community and to play down their power, so as to emphasize the responsibility of the disputants for their own lives and those of their children. Statistics on domestic proceedings in magistrates' courts indicate that there were some 260,000 proceedings in England and Wales in 1983. Of these, about 83,000 were applications for orders and 177,000 involved variations of orders, enforcement, or attachment of orderings. The applications for orders fall into six main categories: maintenance orders (about 27,000), custody/access orders (about 10,000), guardianship orders (about 12,000), affiliation orders (about 10,000), family protection orders (about 10,000), and registration or orders made in other courts (about 14,000). Conference participants are listed.

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