Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether judges hearing trials involving rape or serious sexual assault are required to attend a course accredited by the Judicial College before the commencement of proceedings.

The Lord Chief Justice is responsible for the training of the judiciary.

Judges will only be listed to hear trials involving rape or serious sexual assault if they have been authorised and trained accordingly.

All Circuit Judges and Recorders who hear such cases in the Crown Court must be authorised to do so by the Senior Presiding Judge, and must then attend a Serious Sexual Offences Seminar (SSOS) provided by the Judicial College, before they can begin hearing such cases.

Queen’s Bench High Court Judges in the criminal jurisdiction have an automatic authority to hear such trials, and if they have not previously attended a SSOS they are asked to do so at the earliest opportunity.