This year’s conference will centre around domestic abuse in family disputes with a specific emphasis on coercive and controlling behaviour. 

The sessions will give attendees a greater understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on the victim and they will provide guidance on best practice when screening cases for domestic abuse and when advising and supporting both victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse on family breakdown.

Programme: 

13:15 Arrival and welcome
13:30 Introduction to the conference and overview of the afternoon
13:40 Keynote speech - David Challen, Domestic Abuse Campaigner 
David will explore the impact of domestic abuse from the perspective of the victims. He will share his own experiences of witnessing his father’s abuse of his mother and of suffering abuse from an intimate partner.  David will also discuss the impact of coercive and controlling behaviour on his mother, Sally Challen, who David successfully campaigned to free from prison, following her murder conviction, in a landmark appeal in 2019
14:40 Break
15:00 Coercive and controlling behaviour in the criminal and family courts: where are we now? - Laura Baumanis, Olliers Solicitors
An insight into the criminal investigation process after arrest and an exploration of recent case law around coercive and controlling behaviour
15:30 What’s Love Got to Do With It? - Lisa Edmunds and Bella Tait, Unit Chambers
Understanding the litigation journey within private children cases involving abusive behaviour by a parent
16:00 Break
16:15 Domestic Abuse screening - Alison Bull and Sue Brookes, Mills & Reeve 
Assisting all practitioners to incorporate or to improve upon domestic abuse screening when working with individuals going through family breakdown
17:15 End of conference, followed by drinks and nibbles
17:45 Resolution and YRES AGM

Requirements:
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