Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to section 28 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Justice Act 1999, what steps she is taking to ensure court proceedings in sexual cases are not repeatedly adjourned.

The Ministry of Justice’s 2025 impact evaluation of section 28 found that, between January 2019 and September 2022, victims were able to give evidence around five months before the trial. Although trials began one month later on average, the analysis was unable to examine the specific factors causing this delay. While section 28 hearings can occasionally affect scheduling – such as requiring a barrister to leave another trial – the evaluation found no discernible effect on the number of trials that are cancelled or rescheduled as a result of the measure.

The progression of a case through the courts is a matter for the judiciary. Listing and case management decisions are made by the judiciary in collaboration with court listing officers, who prioritise cases involving vulnerable witnesses, including those involving serious sexual offences. To support this, HMCTS has introduced measures such as a national forum for listing officers to share best practice.