Saskatchewan officially rolls out family law screening program

Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Justice and Attorney General has officially rolled out a new program to strengthen the response to family violence and improve access to justice across the province.

The “Family Law Screening Program” features newly appointed family law screening officers at the Court of King’s Bench for Saskatchewan in Regina and Saskatoon. The ministry confirmed that the program builds on projects it spearheaded in recent years in family law and court modernization.

“The program will help citizens gain better support within the justice system,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre said. “It will promote family safety and reduce the stress of often adversarial family law proceedings.”

The program will receive around $279,000 in 2022-23 and $273,000 in subsequent years until 2025-26 from the federal government. The funding is part of Canada’s “Justice Partnership and Innovation Program,” which seeks to fill gaps in legal services and supports for racialized communities in the country.

According to the ministry, the screening officers will support families experiencing separation and divorce. In particular, they will review new family court applications to ensure parties have filed all required documents and met procedural prerequisites, including family dispute resolution and parent education.

Moreover, they are trained to screen for family violence and identify possible risk factors and warning signs. If family violence is suspected, they will guide individuals to appropriate resources and local community supports, such as Family Service Regina and Saskatoon and Children Exposed to Violence Program.

They will also play a vital role in a new judicial case conference process implemented by the Court of King’s Bench, with the support of the ministry’s court services division. Beginning November 1, parties in most family law applications in the judicial centres of Saskatoon and Regina will be required to participate in a judicial case conference before proceeding to chambers.

“The Court of King’s Bench views the judicial case conference process as a way to address efficiency concerns and to reduce potential harm caused by family conflict that can be exacerbated by the justice system,” Chief Justice Martel Popescul said. “The cornerstone of the process is to engage in triage and case management before a court application and affidavit material is served and filed. It is an opportunity for parties to discuss areas of consensus, issues in dispute, and options for settlement before affidavits are exchanged.”