Tributes paid to judge who pioneered Family Drug and Alcohol Court

Tributes have been paid following the death of retired district judge Nicholas Crichton, who founded the Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC).

Judge Crichton set up the first FDAC, an alternative form of care proceedings for children put at risk of significant harm by parental substance misuse and other difficulties, in London in 2008.

By the autumn of this year there were 10 FDACs working in 15 courts and serving families in 23 local authorities.

A statement on the FDAC National Unit website said: “The whole FDAC family, including all of the FDAC staff around the country, FDAC Judges, supporters and graduates of the Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) programme are saddened to hear of the passing of our founder, Judge Nick Crichton over the weekend.

“We offer our condolences to his family, and our heartfelt thanks for a life dedicated to helping some of the most vulnerable children, parents and families not only in this country but around the world.

“The FDAC National Unit will in time give a fuller account of his work, in honour of his life spent working for the most marginalised and vulnerable children but at this moment when the grief we feel about his passing is very raw, we would just like to say how much we respected Nick’s work and his dedication to helping provide a better life for people who are most often forgotten about and neglected.

“In Nick’s own words, FDAC was ‘better for parents, better for children, better for families and ultimately better for our society.’ Beginning with a single court in London, FDAC expanded to nine other specialist teams across UK. Even in retirement Nick remained a powerful advocate for FDAC, staying in touch with parents who had been through the FDAC system, celebrating the successes, and supporting those who still had more to do.”

Steve Bambrough of the FDAC National Unit said: “When I first met Judge Crichton is 2003, I remember how strikingly and passionately committed he was to a justice system that gave families the best chance of overcoming their difficulties. He believed in people’s capacity to change. He was horrified at the suffering he saw in other countries where children were left forgotten in institutions, without the care they needed and deserved.

“We in the FDAC family will greatly miss him and we will continue to work to see that the FDAC programme continues to grow as he would have wanted it to and which is a remarkable legacy to his life”.