As Chief Justice of the Reykjavik District Court Simon Sigvaldason said in a webinar, it is a part of the role of a judge to be critical of change. And given that the judicial system is so extremely different from country to country, judges tend to be sceptical to reviewing and renewing their process based on the practices and experience of other countries.

These factors make the judges  – and the judicial system as a whole –  a particularly special target group of stakeholders when working to bring Barnahus to your country. To convince judges to support the introduction of Barnahus in their national systems, Judge Sigvaldason notes that they often need to hear it from another judge. In addition to this, the Barnahus Network has also seen just how influential it can be for judges to meet in person with Barnahus forensic interviewers. These approaches have lead to judges agreeing to key aspects of Barnahus implementation, sometimes in just one half-day meeting.

Based on your needs and progress towards launching Barnahus, we will support your work to host a planning session, working group meeting, workshop, lecture, or conference. We will send one or two top European experts – including judges, depending on availability – to support your work towards establishing Barnahus and meeting the Barnahus Quality Standards.

Our experts have been influential in generating tangible change throughout Europe, for example:

• participating in roundtables to share experience, answer questions, and give advice based on their experience;
• inspiring decision makers with paradigm-shifting presentations about the impact – for children and professionals alike – when working interdisciplinarity under one roof;
• speaking doctor to doctor, judge to judge, prosecutor to prosecutor, etc about key considerations and opportunities;
• linking national progress towards Barnahus to the international movement and practice.