Janet: What legal advice has the Counsel General given to the Welsh Government in relation to the possibility of establishing family drug and alcohol courts in Wales?
Jeremy Miles AM: We agree with the justice commission's recommendation to establish family drug and alcohol courts, and work is already under way to explore the feasibility of, and the mechanisms for, doing so.
Janet: Thank you. Of course, with regard to family drug and alcohol courts, during the Public Accounts Committee earlier this year, Albert Heaney, director of social services and integration, Welsh Government, advised that the judiciary regard them as being very positive, and a good approach that can be very helpful to families. Similarly, last October, the Commission on Justice in Wales called for the immediate establishment of FDACs in Wales. As I have said previously, I believe that the evidence indicates that the creation of FDACs in Wales could be, and probably is, in the best interest of children and parents. Could you provide an update as to how the Commission on Justice's recommendation is being progressed?
Jeremy Miles AM: Well, we agree with the recommendation to establish the courts, as I indicated in my earlier answer. Officials have started work in this area through discussions about that particular recommendation, most recently at the family justice network meetings in November of last year, and again on 4 March of this year just gone. The president of the family division, as I think she was referring in her question, has stated that he is strongly in favour of FDACs, as they align well with the well-being legislation that we have in Wales, and fundamentally represent that preventative approach rather than a punitive approach. At that family justice network meeting on 4 March, a presentation was made about the functions and effectiveness of the FDACs, and it was agreed that local authorities would consider a pilot in relation to that issue.
