Crime and Policing Bill

Baroness Hazarika Excerpts

Report stage
Monday 2nd March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hazarika (Lab)]

My Lords, I want to be supportive of the Government, but I also urge them to listen really closely to what the noble Baroness, Lady Bertin, has said today, particularly in light of the Jeffrey Epstein files, as she mentioned. Pornography pervaded the Epstein files. This is a scandal that has shocked us all. It has come to this House. It has affected the upper echelons of society. I just want to read a message that one of Jeffrey Epstein’s friends sent to him in the Epstein files. He said:

“Porn has taken over and the guys just want in the bedroom what they’ve seen in porn”.


This is a moment for the Government to be very brave. This is not a moment to be socially conservative. It is better for the Government to be right at the vanguard on this. We often ask the exam question: how can we prove that porn is affecting real life? That time is here and now; we have seen it through the Epstein files.

I want to leave your Lordships with this. On 20 January 2017, Jeffrey Epstein was Skype-messaging with a young girl still in school. He sent her instructions to watch Pornhub. He said:

“It will be very odd at first, but think of it like a school project … Don’t be shy, watch your reactions with no judgment”.


We are seeing pornography being used in real time to groom young women and young men, and I really hope that the Government will listen to the noble Baroness, Lady Bertin.

[Baroness Benjamin (LD)]

My Lords, I have put my name to support the amendments in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Bertin. Over the last eight years or more, every time that we have debated the harmful pornography issues that are in these amendments, I think, “Why is it taking so long for change?”, and I am an optimist. I never give up, so I keep on believing change is a-coming and good will prevail.

The murder of Sarah Everard and the recent revelations contained in the Epstein files, as we have just heard, expose graphically just how much online pornography has not only influenced violent sexual behaviour towards women and girls but caused massive long-term harm to the victims subjected to it. This is why these amendments are crucial to the well-being of women and girls, and men and boys, as well as very young children, to protect them from violence and harm—from having their minds distorted and, in many cases, having their childhood taken away from them.

For years now, Barnardo’s—I declare an interest as vice-president—and CEASE have called for online pornography to be regulated to the same standards as offline. Content involving strangulation, incest and adults dressed as children, as well as that involving trafficking and torture, is rightly illegal offline—yet these images and videos remain widely accessible online. This inconsistency is indefensible and must be stopped, so it is a relief that the Government are now moving on this issue to put a stop to it. Hallelujah! Thank goodness. This change has been worth waiting for. It is common sense. Why should children be exposed to harmful online material which is rightly illegal offline? The harm of violent online pornography is not abstract or without consequence. Men who watch violent online pornography are more likely to be violent towards women and girls, as well as sexually harming children, so the sooner action is taken to make the offline and online worlds compatible, the better for our children’s well-being and mental health.

I support all of the amendments from the noble Baroness, Lady Bertin, and have to congratulate her on her tenacity and her commitment to making a difference. I will speak on Amendment 300, because it seeks to ensure that platforms undertake age-consent checks for performers. This is a critical amendment in protecting women and girls. User-generated content dominates pornography platforms, yet this content is often uploaded with little or no verification. It is great that this amendment would ensure that every individual featured in all content is an adult and has given consent but, crucially, that women are given the right to withdraw their consent at any time and have the content removed.

I also support Amendment 281A, which seeks to ban nudification apps. The Government must be commended for their actions in making it an offence to create deepfake images, but there is an outstanding issue of so-called nudification apps, as we have heard. These AI power tools are being used to create non-consensual sexual images targeting women and girls, and even very young children. The Internet Watch Foundation reported a 380% increase in AI-generated child exploitation imagery, so we must stop every loophole to make sure that that is not possible. If we do not act now, technology will continue to outpace regulation, leaving victims unprotected.

Crown Court Criminal Case Backlog

Baroness Hazarika Excerpts

Thursday 20th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hazarika (Lab)]

My Lords, I add my congratulations to my noble friend Lady Longfield on her excellent maiden speech. She has been such a force for good in public life, speaking up for young people, and I know she will make a fantastic contribution. She is also my roommate; I do not know whether that is a blessing or a curse for her, but it is certainly very lucky from my point of view.

We are all rightly concerned about the huge backlogs in the court system. As we heard, there are reports of cases being heard in 2028. It is profoundly shocking, and we all know that justice delayed is justice denied. How can we look victims of crime in the eye and say that we do care when their trial could take years and they have to live in limbo waiting for their day in court—particularly female victims of sexual violence? These delays cause anger, hurt and frustration to all parties, and we have heard that they can also make people drop their cases.

The system that this new Government have inherited is broken. That is why it is good that some radical thinking is going on, and I welcome the fact that the Government have asked Brian Leveson to conduct this review. I know that many noble Lords and noble Baronesses will disagree, but I think it is time to examine whether we can move away from trial by jury in some but not all cases. I ask this question: how can it be right that a class C drugs offence sits in the Crown Court while a vulnerable rape victim has to wait five years from report to court?

I also hope that we can use magistrates’ courts more. They do excellent work and, having spoken with many in the profession, I know that they would be keen to step up. Can the Minister tell us whether there are plans to recruit more magistrates, as we may need more of them if we are to change the system? Can he also update us on plans to improve court infrastructure, including crumbling buildings and the national computer system, which often goes down and causes delays?

We all have a shared interest in sorting this out. Our country is built on the rule of law, and we believe in having a strong legal system. But, if we do not find a way to clear these backlogs in a reasonable time-space, there is a real danger that people will not only lose trust in our system but feel that we now live in a society that is essentially lawless, and that crimes go unpunished for years and years, and then maybe just wither away. That is something that none of us wants.

Courts: Backlogs

Baroness Hazarika Excerpts

Wednesday 15th January 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Hazarika]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to tackle court backlogs, and whether they have considered reducing trial by jury.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede) (Lab)]

My Lords, the Government remain committed to bearing down on the Crown Court backlog, but the challenge in doing so is significant. The Lord Chancellor has commissioned an independent review of the criminal courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to recommend long-term reform. Sir Brian has been asked to specifically consider the merits of hearing more trials outside the Crown Court. Jury trials will always remain a cornerstone of our justice system for the most serious cases, but we must consider bold action to tackle the backlog in our courts.

[Baroness Hazarika (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for that Answer. He is right that, because of the terrible inheritance of these court backlogs, we have to think radically and challengingly. We have to think about the victims. Some victims now are having cases listed as far away as early 2028. Is it right that a class C drugs offence sits in the Crown Court queue, while a vulnerable rape victim has to wait five-plus years from report to court? That often risks them walking away and allowing a potential rapist to escape. Does he agree that justice delayed is justice denied?

[Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede (Lab)]

Yes, I agree with my noble friend that justice delayed is justice denied, and I agree with the sentiments she expressed in her question. But that is the argument for bold and ambitious reform—and we very much hope and expect that that is what Sir Brian will deliver. The review will consider the merits of longer-term reform, as well as court efficiency. Sir Brian will consider court reform options that would reduce demand on the Crown Court, including reclassification of offences, consideration of magistrates’ sentencing powers and the introduction of an intermediate court. The review will provide findings on court reform by spring this year, and its findings on efficiency will come forward by autumn this year.