Tag: Ministry of Justice

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.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 19 May 2023.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the interim appointment of Chief Constable Rob Nixon as a policing member of the Sentencing Council (SC) from 5 May 2023 to 30 November 2023, pending the outcome of a recruitment campaign for the role.

The SC was established under Section 118(1) of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 to promote greater transparency and consistency in sentencing, whilst maintaining the independence of the judiciary. The SC’s responsibilities include developing sentencing guidelines and monitoring their use, assessing the impact of guidelines on sentencing practice, and promoting the understanding of and increasing public confidence in sentencing and the criminal justice system.

The appointment of non judicial Sentencing Council members are made by the Lord Chancellor after consulting the Lord Chief Justice.

All appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, who was consulted about the interim appointment, and recruitment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Biography

Rob Nixon was appointed as Chief Constable of Leicestershire Constabulary in November 2022.

Rob has served with Leicestershire Police since 1993. He was appointed Assistant Chief Constable, in April 2017, with responsibility for local policing, crime and intelligence and public protection, before being promoted to Deputy Chief Constable in February 2018.

Between 2015 and 2018, as temporary Assistant Chief Constable, Rob worked on collaborative projects across Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.

Rob was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in December 2020.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 18 May 2023.

The Lord Chancellor, after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, has announced the reappointment of Philip Brook Smith KC and Susan Humble as members of the Tribunal Procedure Committee.

The Lord Chancellor has announced the reappointment of Philip Brook Smith KC and Susan Humble as members of the Tribunal Procedure Committee (TPC) for 3 years from 4 July 2023 to 3 July 2026.

Philip Brook Smith KC, was appointed to the TPC on 4 July 2020. He has a broad commercial and civil practice and has substantial experience of a wide variety of areas of commercial and civil law, achieving notable distinction in the field of product liability.

Susan Humble was appointed to the TPC on 4 July 2020. She is a partner at RIAA Barker Gillette, Chair of the Taxation Disciplinary Board and a Lay Panellist on the Professional Conduct Committee of the Teaching Regulation Agency. Between 2010 – 2018, Susan was the Chief Executive Officer and Clerk of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

Both appointees have declared no political activity.

The TPC was established, on 19 May 2008, under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act (TCEA) 2007 to make rules governing practice and procedure in the First-tier and Upper Tribunals. The TPC is responsible for nine sets of Tribunal Rules, covering 11 Chambers in the Unified Tribunals System. The subject matter of the appeals heard in those Chambers includes immigration, tax, mental health and transport.

These reappointments are made under Schedule 5(21) of the TCEA and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and comply with the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 18 May 2023.

New offence for encouraging serious self-harm with perpetrators facing 5 years behind bars.

Vile trolls who hide behind the anonymity of the internet to encourage others to cause themselves serious harm will face prosecution as part of an overhaul of online safety laws announced today (18 May 2023).

Additions to the Online Safety Bill will make it a crime to encourage someone to cause serious self-harm, regardless of whether or not victims go on to injure themselves and those convicted face up to 5 years in prison.  The new offence will add to existing laws which make it illegal to encourage or assist someone to take their own life.

Police or prosecutors will only have to prove communication was intended to encourage or assist serious self-harm amounting to grievous bodily harm (GBH) – this could include serious injuries such as broken bones or permanent physical scarring.

The offence will apply even where the perpetrator does not know the person they are targeting – putting an end to abhorrent trolling that risks serious self-harm or life-changing injuries.

Encouraging someone to starve themselves or not take prescribed medication will also be covered.

Research from the Mental Health Foundation shows that more than a quarter of women between 16-24 have reported self-harm at some point in their life and since 1993 the levels of self-harm among women have tripled.  Today’s announcement is the latest step in our work to provide greater protections for women and girls who are more likely to self-harm.

Research also shows more than two-thirds of UK adults are concerned about seeing content that promotes or advocates self-harm while online.

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

There is no place in our society for those who set out to deliberately encourage the serious self-harm of others. Our new law will send a clear message to these cowardly trolls that their behaviour is not acceptable.

Building on the existing measures in the Online Safety Bill our changes will make it easier to convict these vile individuals and make the internet a better and safer place for everyone.

The new offence will be created following a recommendation from the Law Commission in 2021 and balances the need to protect vulnerable people while not criminalising those who document their own self-harm as part of their recovery journey.

Justice Minister, Edward Argar MP, said:

No parent should ever worry about their children seeing content online or elsewhere encouraging them to hurt themselves.

Our reforms will punish those who use encourage vulnerable people to inflict serious injuries on themselves and make sure they face the prospect of time behind bars.

This new offence builds on measures already in the Online Safety Bill, which will better regulate social media and ensure that social media companies like Tiktok, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and others are held legally responsible for the content on their sites.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 15 May 2023.

Victims and Prisoners Bill will stop unnecessary and invasive access to personal materials such as therapy notes.

Victims of rape will no longer face unnecessary and invasive requests to access their therapy notes or other personal records during the investigation stage thanks to new legislation announced today (15 May 2023).

For the first time ever, an amendment to the government’s Victims and Prisoners Bill will set out clearly in law that police should only request material that is absolutely necessary and proportionate to ensure that vulnerable victims aren’t put off seeking vital support.

This will end expansive fishing expeditions for information that can be irrelevant to the investigation and used to undermine the credibility of the victim.

This change gives greater clarity to victims and the police about when information can be requested and provides survivors of the most heinous crimes with the confidence to access therapy earlier without fear notes could be used against them in court.

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

This important reform will end invasive unnecessary requests for therapy notes for rape victims and give them the confidence to seek the help they need earlier, free from the fear that what they share in the process of healing could be weaponised against them.

The Victims and Prisoners Bill is ensuring victims are treated as participants in, not just spectators of, the justice system – improving support for them while overhauling the parole system to better protect the public from the most dangerous offenders.

Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, said:

It is simply unacceptable that victims of some of the most traumatic crimes have had significant amounts of their personal records unnecessarily requested.

We have been clear that this issue must be addressed through legislation and that’s why we’re making this vital amendment to the Bill. This is just one of the ways we are working across government to improve how the criminal justice system deals with these horrendous crimes.

The changes follow a Home Office consultation in 2022 which showed almost 90% of respondents were in favour of introducing a statutory duty on police forces to only make necessary and proportionate requests for the disclosure of third-party information. To ensure police are abiding by the new law, the government will also publish a new robust code of conduct – with forces who fail to abide by the new rules to face consequences including possible legal action.

Justice Minister, Edward Argar MP, said:

The Victims and Prisoners Bill will ensure that victims feel listened to and are treated fairly, properly, and with dignity when they come forward to bring their offender to justice.

The reforms we are announcing today will mean that rape victims know their rights when they are asked to provide personal information like therapy notes.

The new legislation forms part of the Victims and Prisoners Bill which will transform victims’ experience by putting the principles underpinning the Victims’ Code on a statutory footing – sending a clear signal about what they can and should expect from the criminal justice system.

The bill will also overhaul the parole system by allowing ministers to block the release of the most dangerous offenders including murderers, rapists, and terrorists – putting public protection back as the overriding focus of the parole process.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 11 May 2023.

New rules will see up to 4,500 more lawyers from diverse backgrounds eligible to become judges under plans announced by the government today (11 May 2023).

Experienced Chartered Institute of Legal Executive lawyers, after gaining seven years’ experience, will be able to apply to become Recorders and Judges of the Upper Tribunal, hearing complex civil, family, crime and tribunal cases.

Those appointed as Recorders would be able to preside over cases in the Crown Court, sentencing some of the most serious offenders, while those appointed as Judges of the Upper Tribunal would deal with a range of appeals on issues such as immigration and tax.

Chartered Institute of Legal Executive lawyers are not required to hold a university degree and gain their legal qualifications while working. They are more diverse in terms of gender and social background than other legal professionals and many join the profession mid-career or following a break.

Previously, they could only apply for judicial roles overseeing less complex cases in the civil, family and magistrates’ courts and the first-tier tribunal.

The move will increase the number of judicial roles that legal professionals from under-represented groups can apply for – better reflecting modern, multi-cultural, twenty-first century Britain.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk said:

Providing more opportunities for experienced lawyers from a range of backgrounds to join the bench strengthens the judiciary and the rule of law.

That’s why we’re making these important reforms, to broaden eligibility and ensure the judiciary is able to draw on a wealth of experience.

Justice Minister Mike Freer said:

We are striving to build a legal system that truly reflects the range of voices in our society.

This change shows how important the broader legal profession is to our goal of breaking down barriers and boosting eligibility as we recruit more, diverse judges.

Chartered Institute of Legal Executive lawyers represent a wider range of society than the judiciary and broader legal profession. Women make up 77 per cent of Chartered Institute of Legal Executive lawyers while 41 per cent of judges are female. In addition, just 6 per cent attended a fee-paying school, compared to a third of barristers and 45 per cent of Recorders.

CILEX Chair Professor Chris Bones said:

Women and ethnic minorities are currently under-represented in our judicial system and we need a judiciary that is representative of the society we live in to promote confidence in the rule of law. As one of the most diverse parts of the legal profession, CILEX is a key solution to accessing talent of greater diversity.

Judicial appointments should be based on merit and all lawyers regardless of their professional title should be able to apply for all judicial roles they are trained and competent to perform.

Today’s change is a part of the government’s wider efforts to boost the number of judges so more cases can be heard across the country.