Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) domestic violence case applicants and (b) sexual violence case applicants have applied for exceptional case funding in the last five years; and how many of those applicants have been successful.

Representation to obtain a protective injunction, or in family law matters where there is a history of violence, is available within the existing scope of the legal aid scheme, subject to eligibility criteria.

Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) exists to provide for cases which would not ordinarily be covered by the legal aid scheme. To qualify for ECF, applicants must meet the ECF criteria as set out in LASPO and described in the Lord Chancellor’s funding guidance. They must also be financially eligible for legal aid and their case must meet the merits criteria to qualify.

Any data on applications for ECF in cases of this type could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.