On 8 February, Stephen spoke in the House of Commons about delays in the East London Family Court and asked the Government to help.
The Magistrates Court, based in Westferry Circus, has the longest delays in London, with families facing a minimum wait of seven months for a hearing. There are plans to tackle the backlog by transferring some East London postcodes to the family courts in Central and West London, but the move has not yet begun.
During Justice Questions in Parliament, Stephen raised this with the Justice Minister. He asked “when are we finally going to see some progress on this? Do we not need additional court capacity?” The Minster responded with an offer to meet with Stephen.
You can watch Stephen’s full question, and the Minister’s response, below.