Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to prevent the misuse of civil and family court proceedings as a form of post-separation abuse and coercive control.
Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
We are committed to improving experiences and outcomes for children and families, particularly in cases involving domestic abuse. The courts have a range of powers to protect victims of domestic abuse. Where repeated applications may be a continuing form of abuse, courts can make orders meaning the perpetrator would require the prior permission of the court before an application could be made. Alongside this, both the Family and Civil courts can appoint an appropriately qualified person to undertake cross-examination instead of a perpetrator.
We are rolling out the Child Focused Model nationally, reforming the procedure to be followed in certain private law children’s proceedings in the Family Court. The model embeds referrals to local, specialist domestic abuse support services where domestic abuse is raised as an issue in the case. Victims of domestic abuse and other harms can receive expert support from an Independent Domestic Violence Adviser who will undertake a risk assessment and can offer support to the victim throughout the court process.
The model frontloads information gathering and risk assessment through the introduction of the Child Impact Report which presents an assessment of issues through engagement with the parties, the children and relevant agencies. This approach means that evidence is available to judges earlier in the case and reduces the number of cases returning to court, protecting children and families from further trauma.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department monitors outcomes in family court cases involving domestic abuse to identify patterns of harm arising from (a) repeated and (b) prolonged proceedings.
Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
This Government recognises the significant impact of domestic abuse on children and adult victims involved in Family Court proceedings, which can be exacerbated when proceedings are prolonged. In March 2026, the Government announced the national rollout of the Child Focused Courts. Under the model, victims of domestic abuse receive specialist support from Independent Domestic Violence Advisers. Data from areas with the model shows cases are being resolved up to seven and a half months faster on average. The model reduces the number of cases returning to court, protecting children and families from further trauma.
We are closely monitoring metrics and feedback for the courts already operating the Child Focused Model. As expansion progresses, we are working with the Domestic Abuse Commissioner to explore how we can better understand the outcomes for, and experiences of, families in Child Focused Courts.
In addition, we are carefully considering the outcomes of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s Family Court Review and Reporting Mechanism pilot and will provide further detail as soon as we are able to.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the outcomes of the pilot launched in October 2024 to provide free mental health support for jurors who hear distressing cases in Crown Courts across England and Wales will be published.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is an important civic duty. Whilst many people find it worthwhile, we recognise that some trials can be challenging. There is no formal process for keeping in touch with jurors following service, and if a juror is left distressed by any aspect of their service, they are encouraged to seek specialist support through their GP, the NHS 111 helpline which includes a dedicated mental health option, or the Samaritans.
The enhanced support for jurors pilot concluded in March 2025 and the evaluation is expected to be published soon. The Government recognises the important role jurors play and is considering how best to strengthen support in light of the pilot evaluation.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether HMCTS, the Ministry or another body has a formal process for keeping in contact with jurors hearing the most distressing cases after their jury service is complete.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is an important civic duty. Whilst many people find it worthwhile, we recognise that some trials can be challenging. There is no formal process for keeping in touch with jurors following service, and if a juror is left distressed by any aspect of their service, they are encouraged to seek specialist support through their GP, the NHS 111 helpline which includes a dedicated mental health option, or the Samaritans.
The enhanced support for jurors pilot concluded in March 2025 and the evaluation is expected to be published soon. The Government recognises the important role jurors play and is considering how best to strengthen support in light of the pilot evaluation.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support mental health support is available to jurors in Crown Courts that were not part of the pilot launched in October 2024.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is an important civic duty. Whilst many people find it worthwhile, we recognise that some trials can be challenging. There is no formal process for keeping in touch with jurors following service, and if a juror is left distressed by any aspect of their service, they are encouraged to seek specialist support through their GP, the NHS 111 helpline which includes a dedicated mental health option, or the Samaritans.
The enhanced support for jurors pilot concluded in March 2025 and the evaluation is expected to be published soon. The Government recognises the important role jurors play and is considering how best to strengthen support in light of the pilot evaluation.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of distressing cases on the health of jurors who hear those cases.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is an important civic duty. Whilst many people find it worthwhile, we recognise that some trials can be challenging. There is no formal process for keeping in touch with jurors following service, and if a juror is left distressed by any aspect of their service, they are encouraged to seek specialist support through their GP, the NHS 111 helpline which includes a dedicated mental health option, or the Samaritans.
The enhanced support for jurors pilot concluded in March 2025 and the evaluation is expected to be published soon. The Government recognises the important role jurors play and is considering how best to strengthen support in light of the pilot evaluation.
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he is taking steps to modernise the Inheritance Act to reflect a) common law partners and b) common law partners whose marriage plans were underway before one of those partners passed away.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones
There is no legal status of “common law partners” in England and Wales. Under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, cohabitants (where they were living together as if married or in a civil partnership for at least two years) may apply for reasonable financial provision from a deceased partner’s estate.
The Government recognises concerns about the current position and has committed to strengthening the rights of cohabitants. We will consult in due course on potential reforms, including enhancing inheritance rights for cohabitants.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they expect a reduction in the average time it takes for a landlord to regain possession through the courts as a result of the Renters' Rights Act 2025; and if so, when.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly possession statistics which monitor the volume and timeliness of possession claims in the County Court. The Civil Procedure Rules state that possession hearings should be listed between 4 and 8 weeks of a claim being issued. The latest possession statistics for October to December 2025, show a mean average of 7.3 weeks from claim to order, down from 8.0 weeks for the same period in 2024.
In the longer term, we expect the reforms to reduce the volume of possession claims as only those cases where there is a clear, well-evidenced ground for possession will be able to proceed. We are also developing a new digital possession service – doing away with outdated paper processes and reducing the chance of mistakes being made.
The timeliness of the court possession process is influenced by a number of factors including user behaviour.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether civil servants in the Ministry of Justice have been allowed or instructed to continue working on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill when this parliamentary session ends.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Once the current parliamentary session ends, civil servants will cease to work on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Any remaining activity is limited to the management of parliamentary business and correspondence. This may include tasks such as responding to Parliamentary Questions and maintaining appropriate records, in line with normal procedures.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil servants in the Ministry of Justice are working on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The number of civil servants working on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has varied over time. As of 21 April 2026, there were 2.8 full-time equivalent (FTE) officials in the Ministry of Justice.
Where necessary, specialist input has also been provided by officials from other teams and Departments on specific issues. This input is drawn from existing resources and cannot be reliably quantified as a separate FTE figure.