Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in ensuring that the judiciary are trained to adhere to Practice Direction 12J: Child Arrangements and Contact Order: Domestic Violence and Harm in all private law family proceedings where domestic abuse is alleged.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
Under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, responsibility for the training of judges rests with the Lord Chief Justice. There is no ministerial oversight of such training.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that finding of fact hearings are undertaken within family court proceedings where there are allegations of domestic abuse.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
A revised Practice Direction 12J has been made by the President of the Family Division and approved by Ministers and is coming into force on 2nd October. This sets out the procedure governing finding of fact hearings in child arrangements cases where domestic abuse is alleged. Application of the practice direction is a matter for the senior judiciary.
Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) prosecutions, and (2) convictions, there have been in Wales under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in each year since 2010, and what penalty was imposed in each case.
Answered by Lord Faulks
There were no prosecutions brought under section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, in Wales, from 2010 to 2014 (the latest available).
Data on court proceedings for calendar year 2015 is planned for publication in May 2016.