Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts

Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts (SDACs), originally referred to as specialist domestic violence courts, were first piloted in England and Wales in 1999, replicating a model of specialist courts already in existence in the USA, Canada and Australia. Generally operating out of existing courts, Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts cover a range of practice models that were developed to improve the processing of domestic abuse cases within the criminal justice system.

We spoke with Liam Cooper, Community Advice Manager and Jenny Da Silva, Community Advice Coordinator at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court.

This report provides an overview of five years of Highbury Corner Community Advice.

We spoke to Joanne Greenway, DAISY Service Manager at Walsall Children’s Services, about Walsall’s DAISY Programme. 

We spoke with Isobel Johnson, the Occupational Therapist at the Gloucestershire FDAC, about her role and the promise of occupational therapy within the Family Drug and Alcohol Courts (FDAC).