Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Judicature Act was debated in the House of Assembly Tuesday and will establish a new Family Division of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador. This bill repeals the Unified Family Court Act and transfers the powers of the Unified Family Court to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, Family Division. As well, a Supreme Court, Family Division will operate in Corner Brook.

"Through the creation of Family Division of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador we are making family law more accessible in Newfoundland and Labrador," said the Honourable Tom Marshall, Minister of Justice and Attorney General. "This new division will now have enhanced jurisdiction in matters pertaining to custody, support and property. Family matters will now be heard in one single court as opposed to the Unified Family Court and the Supreme Court, Trial Division as was necessary in the previous process."

Along with assuming jurisdiction of the Unified Family Court in St. John�s the Family Division will operate in Corner Brook. "I am pleased the Supreme Court, Family Division will expand to western Newfoundland," said Minister Marshall. "Expansion of services was the original intent when Unified Family Court began in St. John�s and now it can occur as these amendments allow the Provincial Government to further expand the geographic jurisdiction of the court. Discussions are currently ongoing with both the Supreme Court and Provincial Court on how best to proceed with this expansion."

"Another important aspect of these amendments is that appropriate privacy will now be allowed for families who must avail of the services of the Supreme Court, Family Division," said Minister Marshall. "No longer will property proceedings for common law couples be public as they were in the Trial Division. It does not serve the public, or especially the families involved, to have these matters dealt with in such a public fashion. These amendments to the Judicature Act reflect the modern realities of the family court in our province."

Justices of the Supreme Court, Family Division will be dedicated to family law matters and this court is designed to reduce the time, conflict and cost of these matters for families. The Williams Government has provided over $800,000 through the Poverty Reduction Strategy to expand family law courts and family justice services. Expanding the mandate of the Supreme Court, Family Division is a step forward in this process.

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Media contact:

Ken Morrissey
Director of Communications
Department of Justice
709-729-6985, 685-6612
kenmorrissey@gov.nl.ca