Hany Soh on Family Justice Reform Bill

Therapeutic justice in the family justice system revolves around reducing acrimony in proceedings and ensuring that outcomes are practical and acceptable to the parties involved, without undue delay, complexity and unnecessary escalation, said MP Hany Soh. However, she said her observation as a lawyer is that stakeholders still have different interpretations of how this should be adopted and some may even be resistant to the concept. She called for more manpower and resources to ensure that the Family Justice Courts are equipped to handle cases in a timely and efficient manner. She asked how many of the new Maintenance Enforcement Officers (MEOs) will be recruited, noting that their job scope appears to be heavy. Ms Soh also called for greater emphasis on training and consistency in managing cases across judges, lawyers, counsellors and MEOs. On enhancing a judge-led approach, she asked if this means a specific judge will be assigned to a case from start to end. She urged all parties involved to actively work towards reaching a global settlement, meaning resolving all claims and disputes in a single settlement. In cases involving children, she said it should be mandatory for parties to exchange supporting documents at the outset. Ms Soh spoke in Parliament on Monday (May 8).