The Family Justice Board in England and Wales plays a crucial role in shaping the family justice system and ensuring positive outcomes for children. Here are the key points:
- Purpose and Role:
- The Family Justice Board aims to improve the performance of the family justice system.
- It ensures the best possible outcomes for children who interact with the system.
- The Board takes a cross-system approach and is jointly chaired by Ministers from the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Education.
- Membership:
- The Board includes senior stakeholders from across the family justice system.
- Notable members include representatives from Cafcass, HMCTS, social services, and the judiciary.
- The Family Justice Young People’s Board (FJYPB) also contributes, consisting of young people aged 7 to 25 with direct experience or interest in children’s rights and family courts.
- Sub-Groups:
- The Board has sub-groups:
- Family Justice Council: Provides independent expert advice.
- FJYPB: Represents young people’s perspectives.
- Performance Improvement Sub-Group: Analyzes performance data and recommends improvements.
- The Board has sub-groups:
- Open Letters:
- Monitoring and Direction:
- The Board monitors the family justice system’s effectiveness.
- It sets direction and oversees performance.
For more details, you can refer to the official GOV.UK page.
Relationship with the Family Justice Council
The Family Justice Council operates independently of the Family Justice Board. As a critical friend to the Family Justice Board it provide it with expert advice, from an inter-disciplinary perspective, on the operation and reform of the family justice system in England and Wales.
Members
The Family Justice Board in England and Wales comprises senior stakeholders from across the family justice system. Here are some of the current members as of 28th June 2024:
- Lord Bellamy KC (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice) – Co-Chair
- David Johnston MP (Minister for Children and Families) – Co-Chair
- Nigel Brown (Chief Executive, Cafcass Cymru)
- Nick Goodwin (Chief Executive, HMCTS)
- Albert Heaney (Director, Social Services, Welsh Government)
- Sally Jenkins (Head of Children’s Services, Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru)
- Sophie Langdale and Fram Oram (Director, Children’s Social Care – Practice and Workforce, DfE)
- Ed Lidington (Director, Court Recovery, Criminal and Family Justice, MOJ)
- Helen Lincoln (Executive Director for Children, Families & Education, Essex County Council)
- Yvette Stanley (National Director, Social Care, Ofsted)
- Jacky Tiotto (Chief Executive, Cafcass)
- Isabelle Trowler (Chief Social Worker for Children and Families)
- Sir Andrew McFarlane (President of the Family Division) – Observer
- A representative from the Family Justice Young People’s Board also participates.
Please note that this list includes key members, and there may be additional stakeholders involved.
Local Family Justice Boards (LFJB)
There are several Local Family Justice Boards (LFJB) including the Sussex Family Justice Board which is the largest. A highly dubious family justice cartel that operates in Sussex.
Local Family Justice Boards (LFJB) were established to support the work of the Family Justice Board by bringing together the key local agencies, including decision makers and front-line staff, to achieve significant improvement in the performance of the family justice system in their local areas.
To contact an LFJB or for more information, please email LFJB Enquiries.
Family Justice Board
Minutes of the Family Justice Board
- 6 November 2023 minutes (PDF, 148 KB, 3 pages)
- 28 June 2023 minutes (PDF, 175 KB, 4 pages)
- 27 March 2023 minutes (PDF, 115 KB, 3 pages)
- 15 November 2022 minutes (PDF, 153 KB, 3 pages)
- 20 June 2022 minutes (PDF, 202 KB, 4 pages)
- 22 February 2022 minutes (PDF, 162 KB, 4 pages)
- 19 October 2021 minutes (PDF, 107 KB, 3 pages)
- 19 May 2021 minutes (PDF, 189 KB, 5 pages)
- 23 February 2021 minutes (PDF, 204 KB, 4 pages)
- 21 July 2020 minutes (PDF, 204 KB, 6 pages)
- 7 May 2019 minutes (PDF, 447 KB, 6 pages)
- 15 January 2019 minutes (PDF, 536 KB, 6 pages)
- 27 September 2018 minutes (PDF, 431 KB, 5 pages)
- 6 June 2018 minutes (PDF, 284 KB, 4 pages)
Check out our related articles on Rule of Law, Open Justice, Is the Law Black and White ?, Civil Justice Council, Youth Justice Board, Abuse of Process, What Does Lady Justice Symbolise ?, McKenzie Friend, Wasted Costs Order, Can a Judge Direct a Jury to Find a Defendant Not Guilty ?, Law Society, Law Commission, McKenzie Friend Right of Audience, Solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority, Barristers, Bar Council of England and Wales, Bar Standards Board, Contra Mundum, R v Sussex Justices, Police Impartiality and the highly questionable Sussex Family Justice Board.
The Ministry of Injustice is not the Ministry of Justice nor is it affiliated in any way with the justice system, legal profession, police or any other law enforcement agencies.
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[post_title] was last updated on the 23rd June 2026











