Found: Correspondence from Minister for Victims and VAWG regaurding the Victims and Courts Bill, 12 December

Found: Kim Thorden-Edwards: With the Sentencing Bill and with the Victims and Courts Bill, victims will have

Found: Kim Thorden-Edwards: With the Sentencing Bill and with the Victims and Courts Bill, victims will have

Found: Letter to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice from the JCHR on the Victims and Courts Bill

Found: the Secretary of State for the Home Department, dated 20 October 2025 and 23 October 2025 Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Letter from Alex Davies-Jones to Committee regarding Victims and Courts Bill Correspondence

Found: State, Ministry of Justice to the Chair , Justice and Home Affairs Committee regarding the Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Davies-Jones MP, Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, dated 21 October 2025: Victims and Courts Bill

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of support available for victims of prisoners mistakenly released from prison.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The HMPPS Victim Contact Scheme is a service for the victims of offenders who are convicted of a specified violent, sexual or terrorism offence and are sentenced to twelve months or more imprisonment. Victims who decide to receive the service are allocated a Victim Liaison Officer who will keep the victim updated on key stages throughout the sentence, including if the offender is released from prison in error and when the offender is returned to custody.

Whilst the Victim Contact Scheme is not a support service, Victim Liaison Officers are responsible for directing and referring victims to sources of additional support where this is appropriate, including national and location victim support services. Under the Victims’ Code, all victims are entitled to be given information about and be referred to victim support services by the police to help them cope and recover from the impact of a crime.

Through the Victims and Courts Bill, we will be updating the legislative framework that establishes the Victim Contact Scheme to bring victims currently served by different post-conviction communication schemes into the Victim Contact Scheme and provide a new route for other victims to request information via a dedicated helpline.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help support victims of crime through the criminal justice system.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice provides funding for services that support victims and witnesses as they engage with the criminal justice system.

The Victims’ Code also sets out the minimum level of service that victims of crime should receive.

We will consult on a new Code to make sure we get the foundations for victims right.

We are supporting victims through the introduction of the Victims and Courts Bill. The Bill will help victims get the justice they deserve.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department plans to review the use of (a) confidentiality clauses and (b) NDAs in consumer redress agreements involving alleged (i) harm or (ii) injury to animals.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

DBT does not currently have any plans to review consumer redress agreements involving alleged harm or injury to animals.

The MoJ recently introduced an amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill which ensures that confidentiality clauses or NDAs used in any context cannot be legally enforced to the extent that they purport to prevent victims and direct witnesses of crime (including those who reasonably believe they fall into these categories), from making allegations of, or disclosing information relating to, relevant criminal conduct. This could include any animal cruelty which constitutes criminal behaviour.

Earlier this year, DBT also announced reform in the Employment Rights Bill to address the misuse of NDAs in cases of relevant harassment and discrimination. The government will be consulting on this reform in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of court backlogs on victims’ (a) wellbeing and (b) engagement with the justice process.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog which has created unacceptable delays meaning victims are waiting too long for justice. This is why this Government commissioned the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to propose bold and ambitious reforms to improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swift justice for victims. We know how important support services are in keeping victims engaged and supported through the Criminal Justice process, particularly with regards to delays in their case. The Ministry of Justice provides funding for victim and witness support services, in addition to core funding for Police and Crime Commissioners to allocate at their discretion, based on their assessment of local need.

This Government is committed to ensuring victims have the information they need. The Victims’ Code is statutory guidance that sets out the minimum level of service that victims of crime should receive from the criminal justice system. Under the Code, victims have the right to information when reporting the crime, during investigation and prosecution, during the trial, and at the outcome of the trial.

We will be consulting on a new Code in due course to make sure we get the foundations for victims right. We are also taking steps through the Victims and Courts Bill to provide all victims with a clear route to request information about their offender, where they receive a custodial sentence.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that victims are kept informed throughout the criminal justice process.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog which has created unacceptable delays meaning victims are waiting too long for justice. This is why this Government commissioned the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to propose bold and ambitious reforms to improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swift justice for victims. We know how important support services are in keeping victims engaged and supported through the Criminal Justice process, particularly with regards to delays in their case. The Ministry of Justice provides funding for victim and witness support services, in addition to core funding for Police and Crime Commissioners to allocate at their discretion, based on their assessment of local need.

This Government is committed to ensuring victims have the information they need. The Victims’ Code is statutory guidance that sets out the minimum level of service that victims of crime should receive from the criminal justice system. Under the Code, victims have the right to information when reporting the crime, during investigation and prosecution, during the trial, and at the outcome of the trial.

We will be consulting on a new Code in due course to make sure we get the foundations for victims right. We are also taking steps through the Victims and Courts Bill to provide all victims with a clear route to request information about their offender, where they receive a custodial sentence.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that people who have been charged with sexual assault attend court in person.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to ensuring that defendants charged with serious offences, including sexual assault, attend court so that justice is delivered effectively, and victims can see accountability upheld.

We recognise the distress caused when offenders refuse to attend court, and in particular, for sentencing hearings. That is why we are legislating through the Victims and Courts Bill to give judges express statutory powers to order attendance and impose additional penalties for refusal, ensuring victims and their families see justice delivered in person.

Any decision to order attendance is a matter for the judiciary, who act independently and apply the law in each case.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve (a) victim support and (b) communication processes with (i) victims and (ii) victims' families within the (A) court system and (B) criminal justice system.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to ensuring victims and victims’ families have the information and support they need to navigate the criminal justice system. Implementation of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 is underway, and once commenced, these measures will help to drive more strategic commissioning of victim support services through the Duty to Collaborate; ensure victims know their rights under the Victims’ Code; and require criminal justice bodies to collect data set out in secondary legislation on how their services comply with the Victims’ Code, which may include information on the victim experience.

The Victims and Courts Bill will provide a new route for victims to request information via a dedicated helpline, which will give victims confidence about the routes available to receive information about their offender’s release. The Ministry of Justice is also exploring opportunities to transform how victims access information and experience the justice system through data and digital improvement.

The Ministry of Justice continues to fund victim and witness support services, including ringfenced funding for community-based domestic abuse and sexual violence services, and core funding to Police and Crime Commissioners. The Department funds the Witness Service which provides emotional and practical support to witnesses in court, to enable them to give their best evidence. The Ministry of Justice also commissions a national Homicide Service which aims to ensure families bereaved by, eyewitnesses of, and children or young people impacted by a homicide or major incident where a crime has caused fatalities, receive the support they need to help them build resilience to cope with the impact of these devastating crimes. This includes support through criminal justice processes.

We continually keep under review Ministry of Justice commissioning of victim support services. The Victims Funding Strategy, published in May 2022, sets out a framework to improve the way Government funds victim support services, seeking to better align and co-ordinate funding to enable victims to receive the support they need.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) victim and (b) family support in the (i) the court system and (b) the criminal justice system.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to ensuring victims and victims’ families have the information and support they need to navigate the criminal justice system. Implementation of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 is underway, and once commenced, these measures will help to drive more strategic commissioning of victim support services through the Duty to Collaborate; ensure victims know their rights under the Victims’ Code; and require criminal justice bodies to collect data set out in secondary legislation on how their services comply with the Victims’ Code, which may include information on the victim experience.

The Victims and Courts Bill will provide a new route for victims to request information via a dedicated helpline, which will give victims confidence about the routes available to receive information about their offender’s release. The Ministry of Justice is also exploring opportunities to transform how victims access information and experience the justice system through data and digital improvement.

The Ministry of Justice continues to fund victim and witness support services, including ringfenced funding for community-based domestic abuse and sexual violence services, and core funding to Police and Crime Commissioners. The Department funds the Witness Service which provides emotional and practical support to witnesses in court, to enable them to give their best evidence. The Ministry of Justice also commissions a national Homicide Service which aims to ensure families bereaved by, eyewitnesses of, and children or young people impacted by a homicide or major incident where a crime has caused fatalities, receive the support they need to help them build resilience to cope with the impact of these devastating crimes. This includes support through criminal justice processes.

We continually keep under review Ministry of Justice commissioning of victim support services. The Victims Funding Strategy, published in May 2022, sets out a framework to improve the way Government funds victim support services, seeking to better align and co-ordinate funding to enable victims to receive the support they need.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to allow a newborn child's father to have automatic parental rights over his child in light of the mother’s death during childbirth.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government has no plans to bring forward legislation to grant automatic parental responsibility to a father in unfortunate circumstances where the mother dies during childbirth.

In England and Wales, a father only acquires parental responsibility automatically if he is married to, or in a civil partnership with the mother at any point between the conception or the birth of the child, or he subsequently marries or enters a civil partnership with the mother. In other cases, parental responsibility may be obtained through formal agreement with the mother, being named on the birth certificate, or a court order. The Government recognises that in cases where the mother dies during childbirth, the father, if not married to the mother at the time of the birth, may be unable to acquire parental responsibility through the usual mechanisms. In such cases, the family courts retain discretion to grant parental responsibility based on the child’s welfare and the circumstances of the case.

The Government is aware of the calls to broaden the parental responsibility measure in the Victims and Courts Bill to include instances where an individual has been convicted of rape and a child has been conceived as a result of that offence. We are carefully considering these suggestions as the Bill progresses through Parliament.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to remove parental rights from convicted rapists to children conceived through rape.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government has no plans to bring forward legislation to grant automatic parental responsibility to a father in unfortunate circumstances where the mother dies during childbirth.

In England and Wales, a father only acquires parental responsibility automatically if he is married to, or in a civil partnership with the mother at any point between the conception or the birth of the child, or he subsequently marries or enters a civil partnership with the mother. In other cases, parental responsibility may be obtained through formal agreement with the mother, being named on the birth certificate, or a court order. The Government recognises that in cases where the mother dies during childbirth, the father, if not married to the mother at the time of the birth, may be unable to acquire parental responsibility through the usual mechanisms. In such cases, the family courts retain discretion to grant parental responsibility based on the child’s welfare and the circumstances of the case.

The Government is aware of the calls to broaden the parental responsibility measure in the Victims and Courts Bill to include instances where an individual has been convicted of rape and a child has been conceived as a result of that offence. We are carefully considering these suggestions as the Bill progresses through Parliament.

Found: Victims and Courts Bill: HL Bill 141 of 2024-26

Found: Victims and Courts Bill 2024-2025: Remaining stages

Found: establishing a new, dedicated Victim Helpline and updating the Victim Contact Scheme through the Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Children and Families Act 2014, Men and Boys Explanatory Note 17 and legislating through the Victims and Courts Bill

Found: The Victims and Courts Bill will extend this to all victims and direct witnesses of crime.

Found: Victims’ Commissioner and Independent Public Advocate I note that the Victims and Courts Bill currently

Found: Enhanced legal rights for victims through the Victims and Courts Bill, currently progressing through

Found: Protecting both mothers and children, these amendments to the Victims and Courts Bill are crucial on

Found: An amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill will ensure NDAs can no longer legally be used to silence

Found: convicted of serious sexual offences against any child – not just their own Amendments to the Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Through the Victims and Courts Bill, and the Victims and Prisoners Act, we are strengthening victims

Found: Through the Victims and Courts Bill, and the Victims and Prisoners Act, we are strengthening victims

Found: class="govuk-table__cell">Discussed No Attendance as Sentencing Hearings measures in the Victims And Courts Bill

Found: Ayse Hussein & Jebina Islam Discussed No Attendance as Sentencing Hearings measures in the Victims And Courts Bill

Found: Victims’ Commissioner and Independent Public Advocate I note that the Victims and Courts Bill currently

Found: Enhanced legal rights for victims through the Victims and Courts Bill, currently progressing through

Found: Victims’ Commissioner and Independent Public Advocate I note that the Victims and Courts Bill currently

Found: The Welsh Government’s Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Victims and Courts Bill Welsh Government

Found: 1 SUPPLEMENTARY LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MEMORANDUM (MEMORANDUM NO 2) VICTIMS AND COURTS BILL 1.

Found: to consider and report on the Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (No.2) on the Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Welsh Government’s Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No. 2) on the Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Welsh Government’s Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No. 2) on the Victims and Courts Bill