Clause 12

by deleting subsection (2) and substituting the following subsection:“(2) A court before which any proceedings under this Act are being heard may, if the court considers that doing so is in the interests of the parties and their children, at any stage in those proceedings direct or advise any of the parties or their children —

to attend mediation conducted by such person as every party or child attending the mediation may agree or, failing such agreement, as the court may appoint;

to attend counselling provided by such person as the court may direct; or

to participate in such family support programme or activity as the court may direct.”;

by deleting the words “as the Minister may approve or” in subsection (3A)(b);

by inserting, immediately after the word “counselling” in subsection (3E)(a), the words “, or participated in such family support programme or activity,”;

by deleting subsection (4) and substituting the following subsections:“(4) Anything said, any document prepared, and any information provided, by any person for the purposes of or in the course of any mediation, any counselling or any family support programme or activity under this section is not to be admitted in evidence in any court.(5) No liability shall lie personally against any person conducting any mediation for the purposes of subsection (1), (2)(a) or (3A)(a), providing any counselling for the purposes of subsection (2)(b) or (3A)(b), or conducting any family support programme or activity for the purposes of subsection (2)(c), who, acting in good faith and with reasonable care, does or omits to do anything for the purposes of that mediation, counselling or family support programme or activity (as the case may be).(6) In this section, “family support programme or activity” means any programme or activity carried out for the purpose of addressing or resolving any relationship issue or relationship problem between spouses or former spouses, between siblings or between parent and child.”; and

by deleting the words “or to attend counselling” in the section heading and substituting the word “, etc.”.