Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to her Oral Answer of 1 November 2016, Official Report, column 777, and the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South's subsequent communication of 3 November 2016 to the Minister for Courts and Justice, when she plans to meet with that hon. Member and the hon. Member for Sunderland Central in order to discuss plans to rebuild the Sunderland courts complex.
Answered by Oliver Heald
I have arranged to meet the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South and the hon. Member for Sunderland Central on 29 November in order to discuss courts in Sunderland.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice of 15 September 2016, Official Report, column 1118, whether she has discussed the recommendations in the Women's Aid Nineteen Child Homicides report, published in January 2016, with that organisation; and if she will implement that report's recommendations on making the family courts process safer for women and children who are survivors of domestic abuse.
Answered by Phillip Lee
Details of ministerial meetings are published on gov.uk.
As was made clear during the debate in Parliament on 15 September, the Government is determined to improve the family justice response to domestic abuse and is carefully considering the recommendations made in the Women’s Aid report.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will take steps to end the cross-examination of self-representing survivors of domestic abuse by their abusers in family court proceedings.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The family courts take the issue of domestic violence extremely seriously. The Child Arrangement Programme and Practice Direction 12J sets out a strong and clear framework for judges to apply to the management of difficult court room situations, to ensure they are handled sensitively for alleged victims of domestic violence and other vulnerable witnesses. All judges receive specific training on this framework and they can intervene to prevent inappropriate questions or have questions relayed. Practical protections, for example, protective screens, video links, separate waiting rooms and separate entrances are available where appropriate.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of the cross-examination of survivors of domestic abuse by their abusers on the ability of such survivors to provide their best evidence in family court proceedings.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The family courts take the issue of domestic violence extremely seriously. The Child Arrangement Programme and Practice Direction 12J sets out a strong and clear framework for judges to apply to the management of difficult court room situations, to ensure they are handled sensitively for alleged victims of domestic violence and other vulnerable witnesses. All judges receive specific training on this framework and they can intervene to prevent inappropriate questions or have questions relayed. Practical protections, for example, protective screens, video links, separate waiting rooms and separate entrances are available where appropriate.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of stopping survivors of domestic abuse from being cross-examined by their abusers in family court proceedings.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The family courts take the issue of domestic violence extremely seriously. The Child Arrangement Programme and Practice Direction 12J sets out a strong and clear framework for judges to apply to the management of difficult court room situations, to ensure they are handled sensitively for alleged victims of domestic violence and other vulnerable witnesses. All judges receive specific training on this framework and they can intervene to prevent inappropriate questions or have questions relayed. Practical protections, for example, protective screens, video links, separate waiting rooms and separate entrances are available where appropriate.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2016 to Question 27240, on family courts: domestic violence, when his Department last reviewed the security standards referred to in that Answer.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Family Courts are subject to Security Standards, which provide a framework for security measures at each individual court.
Security standards are under continual review by each local court. In practice this comprises each court undertaking reviews of all significant incidents trends/lessons learned, findings from risk assessments, engagement with inter-agency partners, feedback following complaints and regular local inspections. This is to ensure adequate protection measures are in place to protect court users.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many criminal offences were committed on family court premises in each year since 2010.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which family courts have a designated safe space for victims of domestic abuse and other vulnerable individuals.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
Safe areas are available for vulnerable victims and witnesses at every venue where the Family Court routinely conducts hearings.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 1.26 of the National Audit Office report, Implementing reforms to civil legal aid reports, published in November 2014, what assessment he has made of the effect of the increase in the number of litigants in person in family courts for cases involving contact with children on the quality of child arrangements orders made in families known to have a history of domestic abuse.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The family court takes the issue of domestic violence extremely seriously. Where domestic violence or abuse is admitted or proven, any child arrangements order put in place must protect the safety and wellbeing of the child and the parent with whom the child is living, and not expose them to the risk of further harm. In particular, the court must be satisfied that any contact ordered with a parent who has perpetrated violence or abuse is safe and in the best interests of the child.
Where the court concludes that direct contact is safe and beneficial for the child, it can impose conditions such as supervised contact to protect the child.
The Ministry of Justice has improved funding for support and advice projects led by advice, voluntary and the pro bono sector to assist litigants in person and provide them with the information and skills to effectively represent themselves in court. Further, a person who has evidence of domestic violence or abuse, or the risk of such violence or abuse, can still obtain legal aid for advice and legal representation in the family court for a protective order or to deal with other family matters, such as a child arrangements order. This is to make sure that actual or potential victims of domestic violence or abuse are given the protection they need to keep them and other family members, including children, safe.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many family courts have special access measures in place for victims of domestic violence attending the court for child contact cases.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Every family court has a system to support vulnerable court users. Protective measures are put in place whenever this is considered to be appropriate. These can include separate waiting areas, additional security and the use of separate entrances where appropriate. Parties can also request special measures such as the use of protective screens in the hearing or the use of a video link.