Family Division President Sir James Munby has published guidance on the proper role of judges in serious case reviews.
These enquiries are conducted by frontline childcare professionals whenever a child who has been defined as vulnerable comes to serious harm or even dies, in order to assess any lessons to be learned for the future.
Althought the government announced plans to abolish serious case reviews (SCRs) in their current form last year, the President believes there is still “widespread misunerstanding” amongst judges and magistrates on the extent to which they can properly participate in serious case reviews.
The guidance says judges can assist but should only do so at a distance in order to maintain judicial independence. They should be mindful of “the separation of powers and the rule of law”.
You can read the guidance in full here.
Image by Michael Coghlan via Flickr
