Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Senior Coroner’s Prevention of Future Deaths report following the Plymouth mass shooting, when she plans to (a) put in place the recommended firearms licensing training for Crown Court judges and (b) ensure that only judges who have undergone this training are authorised to hear appeals against licensing decisions under section 44 of the Firearms Act 1968.

To preserve the independence of the judiciary, the Lord Chief Justice, Senior President of Tribunals and Chief Coroner have statutory responsibility for judicial training, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, and Coroners and Justice Act 2009 respectively. These responsibilities are exercised through the Judicial College.

The Judicial College regularly reviews its training offer to ensure that all judicial office holders receive up-to-date and high-quality training. The judiciary is responsible for determining which judges hear appeals against licensing decisions.

The Lord Chief Justice’s response to the Prevention of Future Deaths Report is publicly available and can be accessed here: https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-0085-Response-from-Lord-Chief-Justice-of-England-and-Wales-.pdf.