Family court hearing halted after father made threats to barristers and court staff
A family court hearing was abandoned after a father made serious threats, including a chilling statement about an ‘honour-based killing’, directed at the barristers and judge involved in the case. The incident has prompted a family court judge to highlight the pressures faced by legal professionals, court staff, and social workers.
His Honour Judge Robinson Bem stressed the importance of publishing the judgment in the case of AB v CD to shed light on the negative behaviours that all parties in the family law process sometimes endure.
The case had already faced difficulties earlier in the year when the barrister for the father raised safety concerns during the second day of hearings. The barrister, who remained unnamed, reported that the father had made a series of disturbing threats, including comments that he would be in the news for actions he intended to take against the judge and the barrister for the mother. The father also threatened harm to his young daughter.
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The barrister told the court that these comments were made directly to her without any provocation. She stated, “I no longer feel professionally or personally safe acting for him.” The matter was reported to the Bar Standards Board. As a result, District Judge Keating, who was overseeing the hearing, decided to immediately abandon the case for the safety of all involved.
Reflecting on the situation, Judge Bem remarked that the case highlighted the unprecedented pressures faced by those working in family law, including judges, court staff, and lawyers. He added that these individuals, despite their professional roles, experience the same emotional pressures and human reactions as anyone else.
The court had resumed earlier this month for a new three-day hearing, where the father, now representing himself, argued for continued indirect contact with his daughter. The father had previously been found to have been coercive and threatening, including an incident in which he had armed himself with a knife during a confrontation with his wife.
In a ruling from 2023, the court had already decided that the father should have no contact with his daughter, and he was ordered to seek permission from the court for any further applications related to her until after her 16th birthday. Additionally, the court ordered the father to pay £9,000 towards his ex-wife’s costs for the abandoned hearing.