An inter-agency group that will focus on possible reforms to reducing the acrimony present during family disputes will be set up.

The group will consist of Supreme Court Judges, Family Court judges and representatives from the Law Ministry and Ministry of Social and Family Development as well as academics and family law practitioners.

Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, in his first speech in his role, said this during the opening of the legal year on Friday.

He noted that among the changes that might be considered by the inter-agency group are a shift towards more counselling and mediation, as well as instituting a profession of family justice practitioners.

These practitioners, need not be lawyers, but would be trained in elements of family law and in counselling, psychology and mediation among other things, he said.

He also mentioned the possibility of establishing a separate Family Justice Court to deal with these matters.