Tag: Ministry of Justice

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

The Secretary of State for Justice has announced the appointments of Roy Grant and Nigel Cotgrove as members to the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB). Both appointments will be for a tenure of five years and will commence on 1 August 2023 until 31 July 2028.

The PSPRB provides the government with independent advice on the remuneration of operational prison staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as set out in The Prison Service (Pay Review Body) Regulations 2001 (SI 2001 No. 1161).

Appointments and re-appointments to the PSPRB are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. These appointments have been made in line with the Commissioner’s Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies.

Public appointments to the PSPRB are made by the Prime Minister.

Roy Grant biography

Roy Grant was recently a Non-Executive Director for RCNi for 9 years until 2022 and a Member of the Royal College of Nursing Remuneration Committee. He has worked on industrial relations programmes, strategy development, financial stability, governance and audit and risk. From 2015 to 2021 he was chair of the remuneration committee for Your Housing Group, a social housing organisation across the Midlands and North West. Prior to 2013 he had a long career as an HR director across multiple sectors.

Nigel Cotgrove biography

Nigel Cotgrove is currently a Trustee Director of the BT Pension Scheme, where he has been in post since 2020. He has also been part of the Members’ Panel at the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) since 2016. Nigel worked for the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) for 31 years until 2020. He served as a National Officer for over 20 years representing workers in the telecoms, IT and financial services sectors. Prior to that, he worked as a CWU Research Officer.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 20 April 2023.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 4 April 2023.

The Secretary of State for Justice has announced the reappointment of Keith Fraser as Chair of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 3 April 2023.

Report finds process less intimidating and yields better evidence.

Rape victims who pre-record their evidence are more likely to have a better experience of the court process, findings published today (3 April 2023) reveal.

Today’s report finds that victims who use the measure, which has been available in all Crown Courts in England and Wales since September last year, find their experience less intimidating as they do not have to face their alleged attacker in the full glare of a courtroom.

Other benefits include improved recall of events as a result of cross-examination being brought forward, normally nearer to the time of the alleged offence, and knowing exactly when they will need to give evidence. It also meant they were able to access vital support services earlier, such as therapy, without fear that it could be used against them in cross-examination.

The rollout of pre-recorded evidence is one of several actions the government is taking as part of the Rape Review Action Plan to give every victim the confidence to come forward and get support they need, and bring more rapists to justice. Our actions are working, the latest figures show that the number of rape cases reaching Crown Court has doubled since the Rape Review was commissioned in 2019 and that the government is closer to its target of returning to 2016 levels by the end of this Parliament. Pre-recorded evidence will help ensure all cases reaching court are supported in the appropriate way to see justice delivered.

Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, said:

Pre-recorded evidence is an important part of our plan to improve rape victims’ experience of the criminal justice system – reducing the stress and trauma that many suffer as a result of facing court. This report shows it is making an important and positive difference.

Alongside better collaboration between police and prosecutors and a 24/7 support line we will stop at nothing to make sure that victims feel able to persevere with the process and bring more perpetrators to justice.

Today’s report finds that pre-recording evidence can create a calmer, less intimidating cross-examination experience for witnesses compared to traditional cross-examination in a trial. One witness who had pre-recorded their evidence said:

Making it possible to go and pre-record it, I have no words to explain how much pressure it took from my shoulders.

I feel safe, and I felt like I don’t have to meet anyone I don’t want to meet. I felt protected, just a safe environment to me.

A police officer interviewed for the evaluation report said:

I’ve […] watched the complainant giving evidence and I really felt for that person because they’ve just been pulled apart and in that horrible, hostile courtroom environment which I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

Other practitioners interviewed for the evaluation report – including Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA), at-trial advocates and police – highlighted the benefit of the witness knowing the exact date and time that they will give evidence, compared to traditional cross-examination where the witness may have to wait in court for days to give their evidence.

The report also found the reduced time between the alleged offence and the cross-examination could improve witnesses’ memory recall. This could be especially beneficial to vulnerable witnesses, particularly children, whose recollection is more at risk of impairment while waiting for trial.

The findings follow the introduction of the Victims and Prisoners Bill which places on a statutory footing the foundations of the Victims’ Code. This means that victims will be entitled to challenge decisions to not charge or continue a prosecution, receive information on how their case is progressing, and be able to access support services such as ISVAs.

The rollout of pre-recorded evidence was a major part of the Rape Review Action Plan to drive up prosecutions and convictions for adult rape cases. Alongside this the government has also:

• Launched a 24/7 support line run by Rape Crisis for rape and serious sexual violence victims
• Expanded Operation Soteria to a further 14 police forces and to 3 new Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) areas
• Passed new laws via the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (2022) to stop unnecessary and intrusive requests for victims’ phones, with the majority of forces in position to ensure no victim should be without their devices for more than 24 hours
• Committed to introduce new legislation on the way the police can request access to personal data from third parties such as medical data
• Launched a specialist sexual violence support pilot at 3 Crown Courts – Leeds, Newcastle, and Snaresbrook in London. It seeks to provide victims with enhanced at-court support and help increase throughput of cases. It includes the introduction of trauma-informed training for court staff, maximising the use of technology, and access to ISVAs at court
• Quadrupled victim support services funding by 2025 compared to 2010 levels. This includes increasing the number of Independent Sexual and Domestic Violence Advisors (ISVA and IDVA) by 43% over the next 3 years taking the total to over 1,000

Taken together these measures are driving improvements across the system. Alongside the doubling in the number of rape cases going to Crown Court compared to 2019, the latest statistics show the key targets of the Rape Review are close to being achieved.

These reveal that police referrals to the CPS and CPS charges, respectively, are up 117% and 94% on the 2019 quarterly average. Police referrals are also up 30% on 2016 levels with charges just 12% below the target the government set for the end of this parliament.

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

The Secretary of State has appointed Adrian Usher as the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 23 March 2023.

Government to fund mandatory mediation for separating couples.

Thousands of children could be protected from witnessing their parents thrash out family disputes through the courts, following plans to mandate mediation for separating families announced today (23 March 2023).

In a major shake-up to the family justice system, proposals will see mediation become mandatory in all suitable low-level family court cases excluding those which include allegations or a history of domestic violence. This will mean separating couples have to attempt to agree their child custody and financial arrangements through a qualified mediator with court action being a last resort.

It is expected the move could help up to 19,000 separating families resolve their issues away from the courtroom, while also reducing backlogs, easing pressures on the family courts and ensuring the justice system can focus on the families it most needs to protect.

In the meantime, the government’s Family Mediation Voucher Scheme will be extended until April 2025 backed by an additional £15 million in funding. The scheme provides separating couples with vouchers worth up to £500 to help them solve disputes through mediation and has so far supported over 15,300 families.

Making mediation compulsory will allow the family courts to better prioritise and provide protection for the most serious cases with safeguarding concerns where it is not an option, such as domestic abuse and child safety. It is estimated that 36,000 vulnerable families each year will benefit from faster hearings and quicker resolutions as a result.

Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Dominic Raab MP said:

When parents drag out their separation through lengthy and combative courtroom battles it impacts on their children’s school work, mental health and quality of life.

Our plans will divert thousands of time-consuming family disputes away from the courts – to protect children and ensure the most urgent cases involving domestic abuse survivors are heard by a court as quickly as possible.

The overhaul could also introduce a new power for judges to order parents to make a reasonable attempt to mediate with possible financial penalties if they act unreasonably and harm a child’s wellbeing by prolonging court proceedings.

Research has shown parental conflict can be exacerbated by lengthy and acrimonious court proceedings, which can lead to higher rates of anxiety and depression, anti-social behaviour and reduced academic performance among children.

Mediation is a process in which couples work through their differences with a trained and accredited mediator to reach agreements such as how to split assets or arrange child contact times, rather than have a judge decide for them.

The voucher scheme has highlighted the benefit it can have on separating couples and their children. An analysis of the first 7,200 users of the scheme shows 69% of participants have reached whole or partial agreements away from court.

Currently administered by the Family Mediation Council, extending funding takes the total package of support provided by the government through the scheme to £23.6 million.

Estimates suggest 1 in 4 families who have child arrangements settled by judges have been to court before in the past 3 years. Increased use of mediation should lead to more agreeable resolutions for families, saving taxpayer money in the long term.

In turn, mediation provides a cheaper and more cost-effective solution for families, sparing them from expensive legal bills.

Chair of the Family Mediation Council, John Taylor, said:

Family mediation can play a really positive role in producing better outcomes for separating families, and in reducing the burden on courts. This consultation shows that Ministers recognise its value in helping separating couples make parenting and financial arrangements without the stress and delays involved in going to court.

It builds on the government’s successful £500 voucher scheme, which is encouraging separating couples to consider family mediation to resolve their disputes. The next few weeks will help shine further light on a process that has the potential to help many thousands more shape the futures of all their family members.

To better support children the proposals would extend the use of co-parenting programmes across the country by making them compulsory before court. Currently families are often referred to these programmes by judges during court proceedings.

These courses encourage parents to take steps for themselves and develop agreements without court intervention, making sure parents are putting their child’s needs first when separating. A pilot study found that around 78% of parents who attend both co-parenting programmes and mediation sessions took steps to withdraw their court cases.

Chief Executive of the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), Jacky Tiotto, said:

Cafcass strongly welcomes the focus on supporting more parents to agree how they will care for their children and spend time together without the need to make an application to the family court when they are separating.

We work with in excess of 145,000 children every year and we see the harm to which children are exposed in long adversarial court proceedings. Programmes that encourage parents to consider together what is safe and in the best interests of their children help to keep the focus on what children want and need as they grow up.

The proposals will be subject to a government consultation which will run for 12 weeks from today, closing on 15 June 2023.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 22 March 2023.

More than 90 business experts have been enlisted as prison employment advisors to help drive thousands of prison leavers into work and away from a life of crime.

Bosses from top firms including the Co-op, Greggs, Iceland, and Oliver Bonas have now been appointed as Employment Advisory Board chairs in all 92 resettlement prisons, which help prepare prisoners nearing the end of their sentence for release into the community.

The Boards link prisons to leading business figures who can offer their expertise on the skills, qualifications and training needed to help prisoners re-enter the workforce.

Using these insights, prisons can tailor their training and workshops to match local labour market demands so ex-offenders are job-ready when they walk out the prison gate.

The initiative was launched in March 2022 and will play a crucial role in boosting the UK economy while tackling the £18 billion annual cost of reoffending, with ex-prisoners in steady employment being nine percentage points less likely to reoffend.

Getting more prison leavers into work helps to protect the public and the number in employment 6 months after release increased by almost two thirds between April 2021 and March 2022, from 14 per cent to 23 per cent.

Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, Dominic Raab MP, said:

Our innovative scheme is helping to get ex-offenders into work, keeping them on the straight and narrow while providing businesses with the staff they need to grow.

We are already seeing the rewards with more prison leavers in work six months after release – helping them turn their backs on crime, contribute to society and saving the taxpayer money.

Alongside breaking the cycle of crime, getting prison leavers work-ready helps employers build the workforce they and the economy needs.

Research from the Ministry of Justice shows that 90% of businesses that employ ex-offenders agreed that they are good attenders, motivated and trustworthy*. Harnessing the talent from those leaving the prison is already supporting employers to fill vacancies bringing benefits to businesses and the UK economy.

Richard Walker, Executive Chairman, Iceland Foods, said:

The rehabilitation of offenders back into the workforce can offer huge benefits to UK businesses and give those individuals seeking employment a much-needed lifeline. At Iceland we feel it’s the right thing to do, and although we’re at the beginning of this rehabilitation journey we are already seeing how it can offer real societal and business impact.

Employment Advisory Boards allow business leaders, including Iceland’s own Director of Rehabilitation Paul Cowley, an inside track to support ex-offenders, equipping them with much needed skills that employers like us will value both now and in the future.

Olly Tress, Founder and CEO of Oliver Bonas and EAB Chair at HMP Belmarsh said:

Employment Advisory Boards are helping prisoners to be job-ready for opportunities in the outside world, whether it be in IT support, catering or hospitality.

It’s a true win-win situation by plugging gaps in the skills shortages across various sectors, while providing a more stable future for the individual so they can stay crime-free.

Beckie Rowlands, Greggs Fresh Start Manager and EAB Chair at HMP Foston Hall said:

At Greggs, we pride ourselves on our culture, creating an environment which is inclusive of everyone. Being an inclusive business also means making it easier for people who might face challenges with getting a job. Through our Fresh Start programme, we proactively offer training and work experience to people who are transitioning into work, including care leavers, people who have been unemployed for a long time, or who are leaving the armed services or prison. We provide employability workshops, mentoring, mock interviews, interviews, placements and, most importantly, sustainable job opportunities to candidates that we would not ordinarily meet.

Working with the Employment Advisory Boards is a great way for us to not only reduce the impact of re-offending within our communities, but also an avenue to find great employees to join Greggs.

Dedicated job experts have been recruited in every resettlement prison in England and Wales and will walk prisoners through job applications and give them interview training so they are ready to find jobs in booming sectors such as construction, haulage, and logistics.

One-stop hubs where prisoners can access career advice and support with tasks such as CV writing have also been established in 91 of 92 resettlement prisons.

Dan Whyte, former prisoner, founder and Co-Director of DWRM Consultants, said:

When I received my life sentence, I had no qualifications at all, but I was determined to use my time inside productively by studying and focusing on the career I wanted when I walked through the prison gates.

Having a job gave me the direction I needed to stay on the straight-and-narrow after my release and now run a successful business helping prisoners get access to university training and education.

The launch of Employment Advisory Boards and Prison Employment Leads forms a central part of the Prisons White Paper, published in December 2021. This includes a major focus on upskilling offenders so they can turn their back on crime for good.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 20 March 2023.

Justice ministers from around the world will convene in London today (March 20) to boost international support for the independent International Criminal Court’s (ICC) vital investigations into war crimes.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 17 March 2023.

Domestic abusers who kill their partners or ex-partners will receive tougher sentences under government plans published today.

The law will be changed so a history of coercive or controlling behaviour against the victim or the use of excessive or gratuitous violence are made aggravating factors in sentencing decisions for murder.

It means these violent and controlling criminals will face more time behind bars, as judges must consider longer jail terms for their abuse and aggression.

The changes follow recommendations made by Clare Wade KC in an independent review into domestic homicide sentencing, which the government will respond to in full in the summer.

Her review found the current sentencing framework does not adequately reflect that many domestic homicides are preceded by years of abuse.

Around one in four (26%) homicides in England and Wales are committed by a current or former partner or relative. Of the murder cases reviewed by Clare Wade over half (51%) involved controlling or coercive behaviour while excessive violence, or overkill, was identified in 60%, with men being the perpetrator in all but one case.

Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab said:

This government will do everything we can to protect vulnerable women, and keep in prison for longer those who attack or threaten them.

The changes I am announcing today will mean longer jail sentences for those who kill women in the home, by taking greater account of the specific factors involved, whether it is controlling and coercive behaviour or cases involving particular savagery known as ‘overkill’.

The government has also asked the Sentencing Council to review the manslaughter sentencing guidelines to explain to judges that cases where deaths occur during rough sex should be punished with longer jail terms. While the law is clear that there is no such thing as a “rough sex defence”, the review found that the high risk of death these acts may carry should be reflected in sentences potentially several years longer.

A public consultation will also be launched to determine whether a higher sentencing starting point of 25 years should be applied in murder cases where there has been a history of controlling and coercive abuse. Currently, the 25-year starting point only applies to murders where a knife has been taken to the scene with intent.

Together these measures build on the government’s zero-tolerance approach to violence against women and girls by ensuring that sentencing in cases of domestic homicide deliver justice for the victims and families.

Justice Minister Edward Argar said:

Julie Devey and Carole Gould have campaigned bravely and tirelessly after the awful killing of their daughters, Poppy and Ellie, and the Government is determined to see an end to murders and violence by abusive partners.

No one should ever feel unsafe in their own home, and we will continue working with Julie and Carole and others to make further progress in tackling the dreadful crime of domestic abuse.

The Wade Review was established to understand whether the law could be updated to better protect both victims of domestic homicide and the public, while ensuring women who lash out after years of mistreatment are not inadvertently punished with longer jail terms than necessary.

The government’s full response and the consultation on introducing a new 25-year starting point for domestic murders preceded by coercive or controlling behaviour will be published in the summer.

The measures announced today expands on the government’s ongoing work to tackle domestic abuse including:

• Quadrupling funding for victim support services compared to 2010, this includes investment for the recruitment of 300 more Independent Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Advisors – bringing the total to 1,000 overall.
• Putting controlling or coercive behaviour put on a par with physical violence, which will mean offenders sentenced to a year or more imprisonment or a suspended sentence will automatically be actively managed by the police, prison and probation services under multi-agency public protection arrangements.
• Recording offenders sentenced to a year or more for controlling or coercive behaviour on the violent and sex offender register.
• Trialling stricter management of domestic abusers, who could now be fitted with a tag, prevented from going within a certain distance of a victim’s home, and made to attend a behaviour change programme, using domestic abuse protection notices and domestic abuse protection orders in three areas in the UK.
• Expanding the Ask for ANI (Action Needed Immediately) support scheme, which is already in operation in over 5,000 pharmacies across the UK in over 88 cities, towns and villages, into 18 jobcentres and jobs and benefit offices. Since the scheme launched in 2021, the emergency support has been accessed on average once a week.
• Adding violence against women and girls to the strategic policing requirement, which for the first time categorises violence against women and girls as a national threat and sets clear expectations about how this threat should be tackled by police forces.
• Strengthening Clare’s law with new guidance for the police, which reduces the timeframes for police to disclose information about an individual’s violent or abusive behaviour so it will be quicker to access information on a partner’s or ex-partner’s previous abusive or violent offending.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 16 March 2023.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State has approved the reappointment of James Hayward as a Non-Executive Director of Gov Facility Services Limited (GFSL) for 3 years from 1 April 2023.

GFSL is part of the Ministry of Justice established, in February 2018, as a limited not for profit company. GFSL’s role is to provide facilities management services to the prisons in the south of England.

Biography

James was first appointed a GFSL NED, for 3 years, on 1 April 2020.

James is a Professional Building Services Chartered Engineer with over 40 years’ experience. He has worked, at Trust Board level, in medium and large sized acute NHS healthcare settings responsible for delivering estates, facilities and capital project services. Currently semi-retired, in addition to being a GFSL NED, he is also the Chairman of Beyond Housing; a highly performing large housing association in North Yorkshire and Cleveland. He has also been involved with several local and national charitable organisations.

James has declared no political activity.