Debate in Parliament on judge-only trial legislation in the government’s bid to cut trial delays took a detour as Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne briefly put aside his scepticism of the Bill to urge reform of family law.Thorne suggested the government give family law jurisdiction the same attention it gives to the criminal justice system. “While we tend to be preoccupied with the criminal law and the speed of criminal cases, I still want to remind this chamber and this country that the most pervasive branch of litigation is family legislation,” he said.Thorne pointed out the significant suffering experienced by many families due to unresolved disputes and inadequate support systems.“A lot of people still suffer within the family law jurisdiction,” he said. “A lot of children are not supported. A lot of disputes still exist between husbands and wives, [and] between ex-married persons. The question of maintenance, the question of custody, the question of unresolved property, that is more pervasive than criminal law.”The opposition leader urged the government to balance its focus and resources between criminal law and family law, stressing the need for reforms in both areas.He said: “I want to say to the government that when we are preoccupying ourselves with criminal law and the administration of criminal law and the justice system, please do not forget family law as an area of some urgency. As I said, a lot of people suffer because sometimes the family court is not moving as quickly as it should.”Thorne described the heavy caseloads previously faced by judges in the family court, revealing that some presided over up to 30 cases each Friday.