WASHINGTON,DU BOIS AND PLESSY V. FERGUSON

Law and Philosophy -     

INVOLVING YOUTH IN THE DEPENDENCY COURT PROCESS: THE WASHINGTON STATE EXPERIENCE

In 2008, the Washington State legislature established a pilot program in four designated sites wherein youth ages twelve years and older had the right to (1) receive notice of all dependency hearings that involve them, (2) be present at such hearings, and (3) be heard personally. Pursuant to the legislation, upon request by the youth, the court participating in the pilot program is permitted to conduct an in‐chambers interview with the youth to determine his or her wishes regarding issues pending before the court. The legislation further required that the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Department of Social and Health Services collaborate in implementing and assessing the effectiveness of the program. This article details the development of the pilot program, its implementation, and evaluation results as of the date of this publication.     

NEW ZEALAND FAMILY LAW REPORT

The New Zealand family law system underwent an extensive review of the whole process in 1992. This report contains the recommendations resulting from that review. Among the recommendations is the establishment of a Family Conciliation Service attached to the court but separate in function to mediate the family law dispute. Judges need to take a much stronger hand in managing the cases when they come before the court.