Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2022 to Question 111770, on Succession, whether he plans to put in place protections to prevent a convicted domestic abuser inheriting from the death of their spousal victim in the absence of an individual will.

The law normally prevents those guilty of an unlawful killing from being a beneficiary of a will (the ‘forfeiture rule’) but does not automatically change inheritance rights for any other conviction.

I am, however, aware of concern that the law may not go far enough. The Government is currently giving consideration to this issue, and to the case and options for reform.