Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what her planned timetable is to respond to her Department’s consultation entitled Open Justice: the way forward which closed on 7 September 2023.

The Ministry of Justice ran a Call for Evidence from 11 May to 7 September 2023 under the previous Government. It was the first system-wide public assessment on open justice and transparency in over ten years. The consultation received a wide volume of responses that are being carefully analysed and I am considering next steps. I would like to express my thanks to all stakeholders who contributed their views, which will inform future policy developments and priorities in this essential area.