Violence in the home: ‘Lawyers must do more’

Violence in the home: ‘Lawyers must do more’

She claimed at a recent conference about domestic violence that some victims were left to have their cases dealt with by junior staff at legal offices without qualifications or legal training.Advocate Colley highlighted the need for lawyers to work more closely with the Housing Department when seeking to have injunctions imposed so that the full implications for the future of the victim and the children would be considered.She also said that to some lawyers domestic abuse related solely to violence whereas victims experiencing psychological bullying within the home needed the same support in the courts.Jersey Law Society president Advocate Alan Binnington said the reason there were very few family lawyers was because the current legal aid system was not funded.’That situation leaves no incentive for lawyers to specialise in what is predominantly a legal aid domain,’ he said.Although he recognised that States resources were limited, he said it was sad that lawyers were not encouraged to specialise in this vital area of family law.’Lawyers do their utmost to protect their clients and there are cases in which lives are saved when injunctions prevent victims from being harmed.

But many of them are not specialists and do what they can under a limited system,’ he said.Advocate Binnington said the legal aid system in the Island was currently under review.Guernsey changed their legal aid system two years ago and lawyers were now paid an hourly rate by the States and charged reduced fees.’It is a partnership which is now encouraging lawyers to specialise in areas they had not considered before,’ said Advocate Binnington.However, at present, anyone in Jersey with a strong vocation to specialise in family law would find it very difficult to make a living, he said.

The number of crimes recorded in relation to domestic violence incidents by the end of May was 104, compared to 120 by the same time last year and 105 in 2001.So far this year, cases of repeat referrals have dropped, by the end of May there had been 36 compared to 43 by the same time in 2002.

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