Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of court delays on the mental wellbeing of victims of sexual violence in Hertsmere constituency.
Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a record number of cases awaiting trial in the Crown Court. Victims are facing an unacceptably long wait for justice and without action, the situation will continue to spiral.
The Courts and Tribunals Bill currently before Parliament introduces measures to reduce the Crown Court open caseload and modernise our court system. The uncapping of Crown Court sitting days in the 26/27 financial year will also mean more rape and other sexual offence cases can be heard. Alongside this, judges will continue to prioritise cases involving vulnerable victims and witnesses, including rape and other sexual offences.
We recognise that lengthy delays can be particularly difficult for victims of rape and sexual violence and are taking forward a range of measures to improve the experience of these victims through the criminal justice system. This includes introducing independent legal advisors for adult rape victims, rolling out trauma-informed training to all court staff, and delivering legislative reforms to protect victims, particularly victims of sexual offences, from unnecessary and intrusive cross-examination about their personal lives at court.
The Ministry of Justice has also committed £550 million to victim support services over the next three years. This includes grant funding to Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types, including sexual violence. The Ministry of Justice provides funding to over 60 specialist organisations through the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, helping victims to cope with their experiences and move forward with their lives, and the National 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line is also available to victims of these crimes.
Alongside this wider work, the Government remains committed to its manifesto pledge to introduce specialist courts for rape.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce court delays for victims of sexual violence.
Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a record number of cases awaiting trial in the Crown Court. Victims are facing an unacceptably long wait for justice and without action, the situation will continue to spiral.
The Courts and Tribunals Bill currently before Parliament introduces measures to reduce the Crown Court open caseload and modernise our court system. The uncapping of Crown Court sitting days in the 26/27 financial year will also mean more rape and other sexual offence cases can be heard. Alongside this, judges will continue to prioritise cases involving vulnerable victims and witnesses, including rape and other sexual offences.
We recognise that lengthy delays can be particularly difficult for victims of rape and sexual violence and are taking forward a range of measures to improve the experience of these victims through the criminal justice system. This includes introducing independent legal advisors for adult rape victims, rolling out trauma-informed training to all court staff, and delivering legislative reforms to protect victims, particularly victims of sexual offences, from unnecessary and intrusive cross-examination about their personal lives at court.
The Ministry of Justice has also committed £550 million to victim support services over the next three years. This includes grant funding to Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types, including sexual violence. The Ministry of Justice provides funding to over 60 specialist organisations through the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, helping victims to cope with their experiences and move forward with their lives, and the National 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line is also available to victims of these crimes.
Alongside this wider work, the Government remains committed to its manifesto pledge to introduce specialist courts for rape.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to expedite rape and sexual violence cases so that victim do not wait more than six months for their case to be heard in court.
Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a record number of cases awaiting trial in the Crown Court. Victims are facing an unacceptably long wait for justice and without action, the situation will continue to spiral.
The Courts and Tribunals Bill currently before Parliament introduces measures to reduce the Crown Court open caseload and modernise our court system. The uncapping of Crown Court sitting days in the 26/27 financial year will also mean more rape and other sexual offence cases can be heard. Alongside this, judges will continue to prioritise cases involving vulnerable victims and witnesses, including rape and other sexual offences.
We recognise that lengthy delays can be particularly difficult for victims of rape and sexual violence and are taking forward a range of measures to improve the experience of these victims through the criminal justice system. This includes introducing independent legal advisors for adult rape victims, rolling out trauma-informed training to all court staff, and delivering legislative reforms to protect victims, particularly victims of sexual offences, from unnecessary and intrusive cross-examination about their personal lives at court.
The Ministry of Justice has also committed £550 million to victim support services over the next three years. This includes grant funding to Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types, including sexual violence. The Ministry of Justice provides funding to over 60 specialist organisations through the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, helping victims to cope with their experiences and move forward with their lives, and the National 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line is also available to victims of these crimes.
Alongside this wider work, the Government remains committed to its manifesto pledge to introduce specialist courts for rape.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on the support available for trainee solicitors experiencing issues with their training providers.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice regularly engages with the SRA on the effective operation of the legal services regulatory framework. This has included engagement with the SRA regarding the training and qualification requirements for solicitors and how these requirements are responding to changes in the legal profession.
The Ministry of Justice has not made a specific assessment of the adequacy of support available for trainee solicitors. It is for the SRA, as the relevant independent legal services regulator, to determine its approach to these matters, with oversight from the LSB. The SRA publishes annual reports on the operation of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, which provide assurance on the robustness of the assessment and set out improvements in delivery and candidate support. These are available here: https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/research-publications/topic/education-training/.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on an independent assessment process for trainee solicitors.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice regularly engages with the SRA on the effective operation of the legal services regulatory framework. This has included engagement with the SRA regarding the training and qualification requirements for solicitors and how these requirements are responding to changes in the legal profession.
The Ministry of Justice has not made a specific assessment of the adequacy of support available for trainee solicitors. It is for the SRA, as the relevant independent legal services regulator, to determine its approach to these matters, with oversight from the LSB. The SRA publishes annual reports on the operation of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, which provide assurance on the robustness of the assessment and set out improvements in delivery and candidate support. These are available here: https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/research-publications/topic/education-training/.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on cultural issues within the profession.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and most law firms in England and Wales, with oversight from the Legal Services Board.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) regularly engages with the SRA on the operation of the legal services regulatory framework. I regularly meet the SRA and have challenged them to improve their performance in the context of law firm collapses, including Axiom Ince and SSB Law, and in the context of investigating Andrew Milne. In those discussions, I have underscored the importance of learning lessons, addressing risks to consumers, and ensuring public confidence in legal services regulation is protected.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department have had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on the adequacy of the level of its resourcing.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and most law firms in England and Wales, with oversight from the Legal Services Board.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) regularly engages with the SRA on the operation of the legal services regulatory framework. I regularly meet the SRA and have challenged them to improve their performance in the context of law firm collapses, including Axiom Ince and SSB Law, and in the context of investigating Andrew Milne. In those discussions, I have underscored the importance of learning lessons, addressing risks to consumers, and ensuring public confidence in legal services regulation is protected.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with the Solicitors Regulation Authority on potential steps to improve regulatory performance.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and most law firms in England and Wales, with oversight from the Legal Services Board.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) regularly engages with the SRA on the operation of the legal services regulatory framework. I regularly meet the SRA and have challenged them to improve their performance in the context of law firm collapses, including Axiom Ince and SSB Law, and in the context of investigating Andrew Milne. In those discussions, I have underscored the importance of learning lessons, addressing risks to consumers, and ensuring public confidence in legal services regulation is protected.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the support available for trainee solicitors.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice regularly engages with the SRA on the effective operation of the legal services regulatory framework. This has included engagement with the SRA regarding the training and qualification requirements for solicitors and how these requirements are responding to changes in the legal profession.
The Ministry of Justice has not made a specific assessment of the adequacy of support available for trainee solicitors. It is for the SRA, as the relevant independent legal services regulator, to determine its approach to these matters, with oversight from the LSB. The SRA publishes annual reports on the operation of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, which provide assurance on the robustness of the assessment and set out improvements in delivery and candidate support. These are available here: https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/research-publications/topic/education-training/.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what conversations has his Department had with the Legal Services Board over the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s ability to regulate the professional conduct of solicitors and Law firms in England and Wales.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of Government. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and most law firms in England and Wales, with oversight from the Legal Services Board (LSB).
I meet regularly with the leadership of the LSB and SRA to hold them to account and discuss key areas of regulatory risk. Ministry of Justice (MoJ) officials regularly engage with the LSB and the SRA on the operation of the legal services regulatory framework, including matters relating to the SRA’s regulatory performance and public confidence in the regulation of solicitors and law firms. For example, there has been recent discussions relating to the failure of PM Law Limited. In those discussions, the MoJ has underscored the importance of learning lessons, addressing risks to consumers, and ensuring public confidence in legal services regulation is protected. While the MoJ has not made a separate formal assessment of the adequacy of the current regulatory structure for the professional conduct of solicitors and law firms, it keeps the effectiveness of the regulatory framework under review.