Tag: Ministry of Justice

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 12 June 2023.

Today (12 June 2023) the Ministry of Justice has launched a new Online Procedure Rule Committee to help guide judges, legal representatives and litigants through online court procedures.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 8 June 2023.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the reappointment of Paul Jarvis and Edmund Smyth as non-judicial members of the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) for 4 years from 1 September 2023.

Paul Jarvis was first appointed to the CPRC on 1 September 2019. He is a Junior Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court; appointed by the Attorney General to prosecute serious cases such as murder and terrorism. He undertakes voluntary work on the Bar Standards Board’s Independent Decision-Making Body. He has written books and articles on criminal procedure and given a range of lectures on relevant subjects.

Edmund Smyth was first appointed to the CPRC on 1 September 2019 is a Senior Associate in the Criminal Litigation Department of Kingsley Napley. He represents individuals and corporates across the full spectrum of criminal and quasi-criminal investigations and prosecutions involving matters such as financial crime, bribery and corruption, asset recovery, sexual offences and extradition. He is a committee member of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association and acts as the Association’s media officer.

The Courts Act 2003 established the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) to make rules governing the practice and procedure of magistrates’ courts, the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division.

The Act requires the CPRC, which is chaired by the Lord Chief Justice, to make rules that are simple and simply expressed and that help make the criminal justice system accessible, fair and efficient.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments regulates the appointment of non judicial members of the CPRC and recruitment process must comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Appointments to the CPRC are made by the Lord Chancellor in consultation with the Lord Chief Justice for England and Wales.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 30 May 2023.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 30 May 2023.

Mike Freer MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, has approved the appointments of Clare Brown, as a non-lay member and Kate Briscoe and Lizzie Peers, as lay members of the LSB.

Mike Freer MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, has approved the appointments of Clare Brown, as a non-lay member, and Kate Briscoe, as a lay member, of the Legal Services Board; both for a period of 4 years from 1 June 2023.

Mike Freer MP has also approved the appointment of Lizzie Peers, as a lay member of the Legal Services Board, for a period of 4 years from 1 October 2023.

Biographies

Clare Brown is a Barrister at 2 Temple Gardens. She is on the Treasury A Panel and is frequently instructed by the Government in high profile public law cases. She formerly worked for the European Court of Human Rights and for the Ombudsman of Human rights in Bosnia. Clare is also a senior lecturer on the Bar Course at City Law School, University of London.

Clare has not declared any political activity.

Kate Briscoe is the CEO and Co-Founder of LegalBeagles; the UK’s largest legal advice forum as well as JustBeagle; an independent search and legal comparison site to directly connect consumers to 10,000 regulated law firms across England and Wales. She has served as an expert panel member for the Solicitors Regulation Authority and, as a consumer rights advocate and consumer litigator, at Howlett Clarke Solicitors.

Kate has not declared any political activity.

Lizzie Peers has over nine years’ experience as a Non-Executive Director across a variety of national and local organisations including the University Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, the Ministry of Justice, DEFRA, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.  She has over 20 years of experience as an external auditor and regulator with the Audit Commission and Ernst and Young LLP.

Lizzie has not declared any political activity.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 29 May 2023.

Homicide Service expanded to support more people impacted by homicide and tragedies such as Grenfell Tower fire.

Bereaved families and eyewitnesses of homicide or major criminal incidents like the Manchester Arena bombing will receive better support than ever thanks to important changes coming into force on Thursday (1 June 2023).

The Homicide Service, backed by £5.27 million of government funding, provides essential services and practical support to families bereaved by murder or manslaughter – such as emotional and practical support like transportation as well as trauma and bereavement counselling and help navigating the criminal justice system.

Currently, the service – delivered on behalf of government by charity Victim Support – provides services for people who have been bereaved through murder or manslaughter.

But thanks to new measures coming into effect this week – and following a successful pilot in London which expanded the programme to eyewitnesses of homicide these life-changing services will be expanded to provide support to all those who directly witness a homicide or major criminal incident across England and Wales – approximately 1,200 more people.

Figures show that 8 out of 10 bereaved family members who have accessed support through the Homicide Service have reported a better outlook on life with 6 out of 10 saying it improved their health and sleep.

Today’s news builds on the government’s wider commitments to place victims at the heart of the justice system through the Victims and Prisoners Bill ensuring those impacted are always supported and have somewhere to turn.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk KC, said:

The Homicide Service provides vital support to the families of victims under the worst of circumstances – ensuring they have the emotional and practical help they need to cope with their loss.

By expanding the service to include eyewitnesses and bereaved families of major incidents across England and Wales thousands more people will be able to access the support they need as early as possible.

For the first time ever the Homicide Service will provide support to children and young people in the community after a major incident or local murder that impacts them directly such as a teacher, pupil or religious leader.

This will ensure the most vulnerable in society can receive professional help as quickly as possible to cope with traumatic events that could adversely impact their mental health.

Ellen Milazzo, Head of the National Homicide Service at Victim Support, said:

We are honoured to continue to deliver the National Homicide Service, which provides such vital support to those whose loved ones are killed through murder or manslaughter. We set up the service in 2010 and it has gone from strength to strength ever since. Expanding it to include support for direct eyewitnesses to homicide or a major criminal incident where a person is killed, alongside enhanced support for children and young people, is a brilliant step. These changes will enable us to deliver the best possible service for victims and ensure everyone impacted by homicide gets the help they need.

Justice Minister, Edward Argar, said:

This expansion of the Homicide Service, and additional new funding, will help ensure that more people bereaved through homicides and major criminal incidents across England and Wales, and eyewitnesses to those events, know they have somewhere to turn for help, where they can get the support they need.

The enhanced service will work alongside other government measures to help the victims and bereaved of major incidents. In March the government committed to creating an Independent Public Advocate (IPA) as part of the Victims and Prisoners Bill. This will work on behalf of families and provide dedicated support in the aftermath of major incidents like Hillsborough to guide them from as close to the incident as possible to the conclusion of any inquiry and ensure they get access to all available support services.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 26 May 2023.

£15 million for services that work with women in the justice system.

Thousands more vulnerable women caught up in crime will benefit from drug, housing and employment support to get their lives back on track thanks to a £15 million government funding boost.

This investment has been awarded to 40 women’s centres and charities, and four Police and Crime Commissioners to provide or access specialist help to those who commit lower-level offences.

These organisations help female offenders to get clean, move away from abusive relationships, and find work and stable accommodation ultimately reducing the £18 billion overall cost of reoffending to the taxpayer.

Successful organisations include:

• Brighton Women’s Centre, awarded £761,280 to continue their support for vulnerable women through childcare provision, counselling and psychotherapy.
• The Nelson Trust in the south west of England and Wales, awarded £1,164,915 to continue their work including residential abstinence-based addiction treatment programmes to help women achieve long-lasting recovery.
• The Together Women Project in Yorkshire and the Humber, awarded £621,309 to continue their work offering one-to-one, trauma-informed support to women serving community sentences.

This support is key to cutting crime as around one-third of female offenders have a history of drug abuse and more than three fifths of women have experienced domestic abuse.

Prisons and Probation Minister, Damian Hinds, said:

We know that female offenders often turn to crime because of poor mental health or drug abuse so it is absolutely vital we address those underlying issues to stop their offending.

These community organisations play a key role in our work to cut crime and improve support for some of society’s most vulnerable women.

The Minister visited Brighton Women’s Centre on Thursday (25 May 2023) to meet with the staff providing this specialist help and as well as the women being supported.

Lisa Dando, Director at Brighton Women’s Centre said:

I am delighted that we have been awarded funding from the MoJ to support women living with multiple disadvantages to lead happier and fulfilling lives.

Brighton Women’s Centre is committed to supporting women through a trauma informed and holistic model of care to ensure women can move away from the Criminal Justice System. This funding from the MoJ will enable us to specifically target support at preventing women from entering the Criminal Justice System. Ultimately, this will save lives as well as saving the public purse.

John Trolan, CEO at The Nelson Trust, said:

This welcome funding enables us to support women with multiple vulnerabilities many of whom end up in the justice system because of exploitation by others. 58% of women report committing crimes to support the drug habit of others as opposed to 27% of men.

We enable women to develop positive social networks of support leading to lives where they are financially independent, choosing healthy relationships and if they are parents, parenting responsibly.

While women who commit the most serious crimes will always be sent to prison, custody should always be a last resort. Tackling the root causes of female offending and providing vulnerable women with early support is a key part of the Government’s Female Offender Strategy to cut crime by women and reduce the number who end up in prison.

Since 2018, almost £55 million has been invested to tackle female offending. New specialist staff have been recruited to support pregnant women and mothers in prison, and charities and community organisations have also received funding to support their work.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 26 May 2023.

Prisons Minister Damian Hinds has today (26 May 2023) outlined a package of urgent measures to improve safety and rehabilitation at HMYOI Cookham Wood, including additional staff being deployed and a major crackdown on weapons.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 25 May 2023.

Over 6 million more people now eligible for legal aid advice and representation.

Domestic abuse victims and children are among millions more people who will have access to legal aid under major government investment to support those who need it most.

The move will see over 6 million more vulnerable people and families able to access funded legal support as the government pledges £25 million to boost the legal aid system every year.

It means domestic abuse victims on universal credit and seeking a protective order for themselves or their children against their attackers can access legal aid funding more easily without facing a means test.

Those who share a house with their abuser will also benefit from changes to disputed or inaccessible assets – which will no longer be considered when assessing someone’s financial eligibility for aid.

Taken together, these measures also go further to support victims of coercive control by making them eligible for legal help without needing to access funds from joint assets.

It comes as the government publishes a progress report following recommendations made by an expert ‘Harm Panel’ to improve responses to domestic abuse and safeguarding across the family justice system.

The report shows positive progress is being made across the family courts such as the launch of a new investigative approach pilot in three family courts and a review of the presumption of parental involvement.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk, said:

Widening access to legal aid secures justice and strengthens the rule of law.

These changes mean more vulnerable people like domestic abuse victims will be able to access the protection of the courts.

Other measures which will come into force over the next 2 years include:

• Free legal representation will be available to anyone under the age of 18, as well as for parents challenging traumatic and difficult medical decisions such as withdrawal of their child’s life support – removing one more burden for families
• Making everyone eligible for legal aid to defend themselves in the Crown Court, ensuring fair trials and ending the so called ‘innocence tax’ where people were forced to pay for a legal defence even if they were then found not guilty
• Increasing the amount of income someone can receive before having to contribute to legal aid fees by over £3,000 for civil cases and over £12,000 for criminal cases in the magistrates’ court

Justice Minister Lord Bellamy said:

We have made huge strides since the Harm Panel published its report and delivered cultural changes across the family justice system to ensure domestic abuse victims feel supported and protected.

Our changes to the legal aid means test will also make the justice system fairer for those who need it most.

The changes to legal aid access for domestic abuse victims were part of a package of recommendations made by the ‘Harm Panel’ to better safeguard vulnerable people against domestic abuse in family courts.

Its report found serious failings in the family courts with concerns that lengthy courtroom battles were re-traumatising victims, and that allegations of domestic abuse were not taken seriously.

The progress report published today shows the government has delivered a number of changes to better protect children and parents including:

• a ban on perpetrators cross-examining their victims in court
• automatic special measures for victims such as protective screens and giving evidence via video link
• clarifying the law on ‘barring orders’, to prevent perpetrators from bringing their ex-partners back to court, which can be used as a form of continuing domestic abuse.

Legal aid provides support for people who are unable to afford legal representation or need financial help in taking issues to court.

Expanding the eligibility criteria helps more people access the justice system to get the support they need.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 24 May 2023.

More than double the number of ex-offenders found work following a major government drive to reduce reoffending and plug labour shortages to help grow the economy.

New statistics show rapid progress has been made to boost employment for prison leavers, with the number of ex-offenders who have been successfully steered into jobs within 6 months more than doubling from 14% to 30% since April 2021.

It is helping to cut crime and tackle the £18 billion annual cost of reoffending as ex-prisoners in steady jobs are known to be up to 9 percentage points less likely to commit further crimes.

Business chiefs from household firms such as Co-op and Greggs have helped spearhead initiatives such as Employment Advisory Boards, which have been rolled out in 92 prisons to help improve the education and training on offer.

Education programmes and workshops geared to local workforce needs are also helping offenders learn new skills and access a vibrant business network as they prepare for release.

The Lord Chancellor, Alex Chalk, officially opened one such workshop run by international logistics firm, DHL at HMP High Down in Surrey yesterday (23 May). It will function as a DHL warehouse for sorting and picking goods to be shipped to other prisons across the country giving prisoners experience of managing the movement of stock within the warehouse and the processing of goods.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk MP KC, said:

Our drive to improve prison education and business links is helping cut crime, with more prisoners going straight into work on release than ever before.

Helping reformed offenders kickstart a new, law-abiding career is a win-win – it makes our streets safer while providing businesses with the reliable staff they need to help drive the British economy.

Eight prisoners also worked on the construction of the workshop, with 2 now in full-time employment with major construction firm Galliford Try following their release.

Simon, who assisted with the construction of the workshop during his sentence at HMP High Down said:

Helping to build the workshop has taught me new skills and given me the confidence I need to pursue a career when I walk out the prison gates.

I now have a job waiting for me on the outside and that makes me hopeful I can make positive choices and stay on the straight and narrow.

The Lord Chancellor’s visit followed him meeting representatives from some of the UK’s leading businesses, at the annual Employment Advisory Board conference on 11 May.

Since April 2022, the proportion of prison leavers finding work within six weeks of release has increased from 15% to 19%, with a further 30% in work after 6 months, up from 23%.

These significant increases come after the government rolled out one-stop hubs in prison where prisoners can access career advice and help with CV writing – akin to job centres in the community. The Prison Service has also been running nationwide, month-long recruitment drives focused on getting offenders into particular sectors that are facing recruitment challenges, including hospitality, construction and manufacturing.

Building on this momentum, next month marks the launch of a campaign to get more ex-prisoners into the UK’s retail and logistics sectors, in jobs such as warehouse workers, shop assistants and online sales advisers.

Over the course of the campaign, business experts from the sector will deliver tailored workshops and jobs fairs to give them the skills and the insight they need to provide a positive contribution to the community as soon as they step out of the prison gates.

Prisoners are also supported by the Department for Work and Pension’s (DWP) Work Coaches, who help them to get job-ready through mock interviews and sharing tips on how to secure further training opportunities on release.

Mims Davies, Minister for Social Mobility, Youth & Progression, said:

The best route towards prosperity is through work, which is especially true for those re-entering society after time spent in prison. That’s why DWP employs prison Work Coaches across the country who work directly with offenders to boost their skills and get them job-ready for their release.

It’s great to see so many people following that route, and we will continue to highlight to employers, through our Jobcentre network, the contribution prison leavers can make to their business.

The new data follows a recent report by the Centre for Social Justice which sets out the benefits to the economy and society by getting more ex-offenders into work.

Joe Shalam, Policy Director at the Centre for Social Justice, said:

We welcome the work of the Ministry of Justice to unlock both aspiration and opportunities for people leaving prison. As well as a punishment and deterrent, prison time must be used to ensure that the cycle of reoffending is broken, protecting more would-be victims of crime.

Employment is proven to cut reoffending, while also providing prison leavers with the keys to a better and more stable life. It’s a rare win-win that we should be doing everything to achieve.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 24 May 2023.

Hundreds of Albanian prisoners to be returned to their home country in exchange for UK support to help modernise the Albanian prison system.