considered the advantages and disadvantages of
specialization. According to Provincial Director
Wendy Hacking, this was a positive outcome
because it laid groundwork for specialization
that occurred later.

In November 1987, the government appointed
the Justice Reform Committee, chaired by
Justice Ted Hughes. In its report, Access to
Justice, published in 1988, changes were
recommended to service delivery that would
increase use of alternative dispute resolution.

In 1989, the Family Maintenance Enforcement Act
was proclaimed and the family maintenance
enforcement program (FMEP)”’ was
established province-wide. This legislation and
program removed family court counsellors
from involvement in maintenance enforcement
and encouraged examination of the role of
family court counsellors.

Inter-Ministerial Family Justice Review
Working Group

In June 1991, assistant deputy ministers from
the Ministries of Attorney General, Social
Services and Women’s Equality appointed an
Inter-Ministerial Family Justice Review
Working Group to improve the quality and
co-ordination of service delivery of family
justice services. At the time, the Corrections
Branch provided conciliation/mediation,
custody and access reports and assistance with
the court process.

In its 1992 report, Breaking up is hard to do, the
working group recommended reforms to the
family justice system, including:

» Separation of family court counsellor and
probation officer functions;

» Promotion of alternative dispute resolution;
» Enhanced mediation training; and
» Creation of community-based family centres.

The working group criticized the adversarial
approach for resolving family dissolution cases.
Their recommendations focused on family
justice services outside of the court system, and
emphasized a more conciliatory approach to
family disputes. The report laid out key
ptinciples to be followed in the reform of the

family justice system.”

Family justice reform pilot

In 1993, the family justice reform project
committee was established to examine the
feasibility of an office that would provide a
single location for delivery of family justice
services. The committee, chaired by Wendy
Galloway (now Hacking), piloted a specialized
service delivery model for family justice
services.

In implementing the pilot project,
recommendations of the family justice review
working group and 13 other reports during the
past 20 years were considered.

In 1994, the family justice reform pilot project
enhanced the quality and availability of family

57 The Family Maintenance Enforcement Program (FMEP) monitors and enforces child and spousal support
amounts that are specified by the court or stated in a filed written agreement.

58 Breaking up is hard to do: Rethinking the family justice system in British Columbia: Report of the Family Justice Review Working

Group.

59 Robert W. Metzger, Report of the Chief Judge of the Provincial Court. Delay and backlog in the Provincial Court of British

Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., April 1998.

220

Corrections in British Columbia