 The time has come for the Court to develop a new family and juvenile justice pathway…(taking) an integrated approach to tackling the problems of marital breakdown and poor parenting, which in turn lead to problems of juvenile delinquency, and, in a vicious circle, lead to problems of marital breakdown and poor parenting in the next generation…’ The Honourable the Chief Justice Opening of the Family and Juvenile Court Building 11 January 2002 |
In March 2002, the Counselling And Psychological Services (CAPS) was set up under the direction of the Senior District Judge and Registrar of the Subordinate Courts. The formation of CAPS stems from the vision of providing a holistic and integrated approach to the resolution of family-related cases.
The CAPS upholds the philosophy of preventive and transformative justice. It seeks to identify the criminogenic roots of offending behaviour, address familial intergenerational cycles of crime and disputes, and facilitate positive transformation of individuals and families.
It is staffed by professionals from different disciplines. The multi-disciplinary team includes social workers, counsellors, and psychologists, amongst others.
Recognising that the courts are not merely places of complex legal problems but also crucibles of complex human interactions, the CAPS provides a host of programmes to assist the Family Court in making decisions, as well as to help families and individuals manage their emotions and resolve conflicts before, during and after the court process.
The CAPS also works closely with the community to provide programmes to confront issues such as family violence, substance abuse, divorce and children’s issues.
The CAPS is involved in various areas of research in the Criminal, Family and Juvenile Justice Divisions of the Subordinate Courts. The results of the research enable appropriate programmes to be designed or fine-tuned in order to achieve the Family Court's goals of preventive, transformative, and deterrent justice.
