Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will hold discussions with the Judicial College on the adequacy of the mandatory training for judges on (a) domestic abuse and (b) coercive control.

To preserve judicial independence, statutory responsibility for judicial training is held by the Lady Chief Justice, Senior President of Tribunals and Chief Coroner. These responsibilities are fulfilled by the Judicial College. Whilst the content of judicial training is for the judiciary to decide, Ministers have relayed the Government’s view of the importance of domestic abuse training for judges and magistrates.

All judges and magistrates complete induction and regular continuation training. Training is designed to equip the judiciary with the essential knowledge and skills they need to discharge their duties effectively.

Family judges completed specialist mandatory training on domestic abuse between 2022 and 2024, which was also made available to civil judges. Training for judges who hear criminal cases includes judgecraft, effective decision-making and sentencing, and advancing procedural fairness. Dealing with the vulnerable in court and issues relating to domestic abuse are interwoven into much of the training. Magistrates sitting in the family and criminal jurisdictions receive mandatory domestic abuse training. The training is trauma-informed and reflects the wide nature of domestic abuse including coercive and controlling behaviour. Training seminars are complemented by a range of other resources, including the Equal Treatment Bench Book which includes specific guidance in relation to domestic abuse.

The College regularly reviews its training to ensure it remains high quality and up to date, and reflects contemporary law, practice and procedure.