The Family Court is a specialist court which is a division of the District Court. It deals with a range of family issues, mainly to do with the care of children. In the 1980s the layout of courtrooms was changed to create a more informal and relaxed atmosphere, to help people discuss and resolve differences without the need for more formal court proceedings. In this staged photograph, the judge acts as mediator in a discussion between a couple considering divorce. The lawyers sit closest to each other, with their clients on either side.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)
Reference: EP/1980/3249
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.