Launch of the Youth Courts Therapeutic Justice Model and Updates to Family Justice Courts Therapeutic Justice Model

The Youth Courts Therapeutic Justice (“YC TJ“) Model was launched on 13 March 2026 by the Honourable the Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon. The YC TJ Model applies to matters in the Youth Courts (“YC“) such as family guidance applications, care and protection applications, and cases involving youth offenders. It provides a stronger framework for the courts to engage children and young persons who need guidance, protection and/or rehabilitation, and their families. It involves a judge-led process where the Court, the Panel of Advisers, the child or young person, the parents or guardian of the child or young person, and stakeholders in the youth justice eco-system, converge and collaborate in a “Whole of Community” approach to find enduring solutions for the child or young person within the framework of the law.

The YC TJ Model was developed by a team from the Family Justice Courts (“FJC“) in collaboration with the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the Ministry of Education (“MOE“), the Attorney-General’s Chambers, social service agencies and FJC’s TJ Consultative Committees. The YC TJ Model is to be read in conjunction with the FJC TJ Model.

The FJC intends to eventually explore how TJ can be applied to other areas where family dynamics strongly shape behaviour and outcomes.

Core Objectives of the YC TJ Model

The four core objectives of the YC TJ Model are as follows:

1. provide children or young persons who need guidance, protection and/or rehabilitation with opportunities to move towards a positive and meaningful future;
   
   
2. identify and address, as far as possible, underlying issues resulting in or affecting a child’s or young person’s behaviour or circumstances, alongside the issues presented before the Court; 
   
   
3. where appropriate, and without compromising the wellbeing of the child or young person, preserve and strengthen family relationships by equipping the family with skills to better support the child or young person; and 
   
   
4. encourage the parents or guardians – who remain primarily responsible for the child’s or young person’s care – to prioritise the child’s or young person’s welfare, protection or rehabilitation, and to work with relevant stakeholders on solutions that help the family move towards their best possible future.

TJ Approaches Applied to YC Proceedings

In furtherance of these objectives, the YC TJ Model applies the following five TJ approaches to YC proceedings:

1. “One Family, One Team” Approach: Where reasonably practicable, a single multi-disciplinary team is assigned to handle all YC proceedings involving the same family. 
   
   
2. Collaborative Teams Approach: Where a family has YC proceedings and ongoing Family Court proceedings, the respective teams will coordinate to facilitate efficient and effective management.
   
   
3. School Reintegration Network: Where a child or young person has been continuously absent from school due to YC proceedings, the YC may make a referral to MOE to facilitate the child’s or young person’s reintegration into the school.
   
   
4. Visionary Map (“VM”) and Written Promise for Change (“P4C”): The VM comprises guided questions meant to serve as a tool for reflection. The P4C is a voluntary written commitment by the child or young person to specific, measurable actions to effect behavioural change. 
   
   
5. Care Conference: This is a structured dialogue facilitated by a Court Family Specialist (“CFS“). It may be convened where the CFS and the YC Judge are of the view that additional engagement with the child or young person and his or her parents or guardian, and relevant stakeholders would benefit the child or young person by recognising the crucial role of family support in the child’s or young person’s rehabilitation journey.

Updates to FJC TJ Model

On a related note, the FJC TJ Model, originally issued on 21 October 2024, has been updated to incorporate refinements to the following paragraphs, as well as certain editorial changes:

1. Paragraph 5: The TJ objectives that apply generally and at each stage of the court process.
2. Paragraph 9: The roles played by family justice participants under the TJ Model.
3. Paragraphs 22 and 23: Specialised competencies and skillsets of judges, family lawyers, and other professionals in the family justice ecosystem.

The amendments took effect on 13 March 2026.

The updated FJC TJ Model applies with effect from 13 March 2026 to all matrimonial applications commenced under Part 10 of the Women’s Charter 1961.

We previously reported on the launch of the TJ Model. To read more about this, please refer to our October 2024 NewsBytes article titled “Therapeutic Justice Model Launched to Aid Amicable Resolution of Family Disputes“.

Click on the following links for more information (available on the Singapore Courts website at www.judiciary.gov.sg):

• Media Release: Launch of the Youth Courts Therapeutic Justice Model
• Registrar’s Circular No. 1 of 2026: Youth Courts Therapeutic Justice Model
• Registrar’s Circular No. 2 of 2026: Family Justice Courts Therapeutic Justice Model
• Amendment No. 2 of 2026 (Practice Directions 2015): Amendments to Part IIIA of the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2015 on Therapeutic Justice Model
• Amendment No. 2 of 2026 (Practice Directions 2024): Amendments to Part 7I of the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024