A comprehensive review of integrated domestic abuse courts, led by the University of Lancashire, has been published by the Ministry of Justice.
Pathfinder was trialled in Dorset and North Wales from 2022 with the aim to improve the experiences of families in child arrangements proceedings in cases involving domestic abuse.
Dr Charlotte Barlow, now Associate Professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Leeds, was commissioned to lead a review of the Pathfinder pilot courts with colleagues at the University of Lancashire, where Charotte was a Reader in Criminal Justice and Policing until July 2025.
Initial research covering the experiences and views of professionals was carried out in 2024 and published in March 2025. This latest publication reports on the experiences of parents and children who have been through the Pathfinder courts.
The insights provided by parents and children provide valuable opportunities for learning for other sites across the UK introducing the Pathfinder approach.– Dr Charlotte Barlow, Associate Professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Leeds and formerly of the University of Lancashire
The review highlighted clear benefits for families using the Pathfinder court process, with both children and parents citing improvements in capturing the child’s perspective.
It recommends ensuring the child in question remains at the centre of all proceedings and calls for measures to reduce re-traumatisation for domestic abuse victim-survivors. It calls for stronger multi-agency collaboration and urges consistent implementation of agreed special measures in court hearings.
“The insights provided by parents and children provide valuable opportunities for learning for other sites across the UK introducing the Pathfinder approach,” said Dr Barlow.
Reducing re-traumatisation for victim-survivors of domestic abuse should be a central priority in any future roll-out and for existing Pathfinder sites.– Dr Charlotte Barlow
“Reducing re-traumatisation for victim-survivors of domestic abuse should be a central priority in any future roll-out and for existing Pathfinder sites. This includes thoroughly investigating domestic abuse when it is raised - including counter allegations - and understanding its dynamics in court proceedings.
“Improving collaboration among agencies to support families is crucial and could be achieved through joint training that emphasises trauma-informed approaches and gendered understandings of domestic abuse.
“Families also clearly emphasised the importance of the integration of domestic abuse support services. For future rollouts, it is important to ensure that these services have sufficient staff and resources to support victim-survivors throughout the process”.
“After leading the first part of the Ministry of Justice funded Pathfinder courts evaluation in 2024, which sought the views of professionals delivering and managing the process, I was delighted to lead the second part of the evaluation which explored the perspectives of families and children who had experienced the Pathfinder process.
For future rollouts, it is important to ensure that these [domestic abuse support] services have sufficient staff and resources to support victim-survivors throughout the process.– Dr Charlotte Barlow
“Hearing directly from families is key to understanding what is working well and what needs to improve in the future for Pathfinder courts.”
Other researchers who worked on the Private Law Pathfinder Pilot are Dr Helen Richardson Foster, Dr Clare Scollay, Elizabeth Dunk, Dr Paul Hargreaves and Professor Christine Barter from the University of Lancashire’s Connect Centre for International Research on Interpersonal Violence and Harm, Dr Ceryl Davies from Bangor University and Carla McDonald-Heffernan and Sophie Carter from the Centre for Justice Innovation.