Domestic Violence Victims: Cross-Examination Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Domestic Violence Victims: Cross-Examination

Helen Goodman Excerpts
Monday 9th January 2017

(7 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Oliver Heald Portrait Sir Oliver Heald
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My hon. Friend has highlighted an important case, as well as the work done by Women’s Aid. He is right to say that that issue needs to be tackled urgently.

Helen Goodman Portrait Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)
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The need for training of the judiciary goes beyond the family courts. A constituent came to see me because her ex-partner had taken a case about the management of family property to the civil court, and the judge had said it was irrelevant that he had been imprisoned for raping her daughter. That cannot be right. Judges need to be trained as well.

Oliver Heald Portrait Sir Oliver Heald
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It would not, of course, have been a family justice case; it would have been a civil case. I agree with the hon. Lady that that is an important consideration, and I will look into it.