Tag: Ministry of Justice

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 27 February 2023.

The name of the UK’s first all-electric prison has been revealed today by Prisons Minister Damian Hinds.

The new prison – opening in 2025 – will hold nearly 1,500 prisoners who will spend their time behind bars learning the skills they need to find work on release as part of the government’s drive to cut reoffending and keep the public safe.

HMP Millsike – situated on land opposite the existing HMP Full Sutton – has been named after Millsike Beck, a local river that runs adjacent to the new jail, firmly embedding the prison into its local community.

The jail will be the first in the UK to run solely on electricity, with solar panels and heat pump technology meaning it will use approximately a quarter of the energy used to heat traditional Victorian prisons such as HMP Wormwood Scrubs.

This will slash energy costs to taxpayers by over £1 million a year – ensuring the new prison protects both the public and the public purse.

Prisons Minister, Damian Hinds, said:

Naming this site puts us one step closer to our new prison playing its vital role in protecting the public and cutting crime.

This is a vital advancement towards our goal of creating 20,000 modern, innovative places.

The new infrastructure project is also playing an integral role in boosting the local economy – creating over 500 new jobs within the prison when completed, on top of hundreds more during construction.

In addition, over 40 per cent of construction orders fall within 50 miles of the site – filling order books for local supply chain businesses.

Construction firm Kier, leading the way on the building of the jail, is also employing approximately 50 ex-offenders – helping former prisoners turn their back on crime through meaningful work before the prison has even opened its doors.

Today’s news follows hot on the heels of the opening of HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, Britain’s first ‘smart’ prison which opened last year. Work is also nearing completion at HMP Fosse Way, the new 1,700-place prison set to open in Leicestershire this spring.

The government has committed to creating 20,000 modern, innovative prison places that rehabilitate offenders and cut crime as part of its ambitious Prisons Strategy White Paper, published last year.

Further information:

• The name was agreed upon by the Deputy Prime Minister, who was presented with a shortlist decided by a panel made up of MOJ representatives and local residents.
• The final shortlist of options was chosen following a 6 week consultation, which involved asking local residents to submit suggestions for what they thought the new prison should be called.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 27 February 2023.

The Deputy Prime Minister has also announced measures will go one step further than previously set out – by extending the rules to cover transgender women who have been convicted of violent offences.

The new guidance will apply regardless of whether transgender prisoners have a Gender Recognition Certificate, with exemptions only to be made in the most exceptional cases – and with the express approval of Ministers.

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

Safety has to come first in our prisons and this new policy sets out a clear, common-sense approach to the housing of transgender prisoners.

With these sensible new measures in place, transgender offenders who have committed sexual or violent crimes or retain male genitalia will not serve their sentence in a women’s prison, unless explicitly approved at the highest level.

Under the changes, transgender women who are sentenced to custody in the future will not be held in the general women’s estate if they retain male genitalia or have been convicted of a violent or sexual offence – unless in the most exceptional cases. Exemptions will be considered for those currently held in the women’s estate who are assessed as low-risk.

At present more than 90% of transgender women are housed in men’s prisons and most do not request a move to the women’s estate. There is currently no obligation to place a transgender prisoner according to their preference, and where individuals are held is based purely on risk.  However, the government has decided to take this further step as an additional measure to protect women.

Transgender women prisoners who cannot be safely housed in a men’s prison can be imprisoned in a specialist unit.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 27 February 2023.

Vulnerable children across England and Wales will be better protected from the damaging impact of forced marriage as the legal age of marriage rises to 18 in England and Wales.

The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022, which gained Royal Assent in April last year, has come into force today (27 February). It means that 16 and 17 year olds will no longer be allowed to marry or enter a civil partnership, even if they have parental consent.

It is now illegal and a criminal offence to exploit vulnerable children by arranging for them to marry, under any circumstances whether or not force is used.

The change will crack down on forced marriages which can cause lasting damage on a child and forms part of the government’s continued commitment to tackle violence against women and girls.

Those found guilty of arranging child marriages face sentences of up to 7 years in prison.

The age of 18 is widely recognised as the age at which one becomes an adult and gains full citizenship rights.

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

This law will better protect vulnerable young people, by cracking down on forced marriage in our society.

Those who act to manipulate children into marrying under-age will now rightly face the full force of the law.

The change was introduced through a Private Member’s Bill brought to Parliament by Pauline Latham OBE MP and was supported by campaign organisations within the Girls Not Brides Coalition, which work to end child marriage and ‘honour’-based abuse.

Pauline Latham MP said:

This is a landmark day for the campaigners who have worked relentlessly for over 5 years to ban child marriage in this country.

Child marriage destroys lives and through this legislation we will protect millions of boys and girls over the coming years from this scourge.

Minister for Safeguarding, Sarah Dines MP, said:

Forced marriage is an abuse of human rights which denies vulnerable children the freedom to learn, grow and thrive. Like all other forms of abuse, I’m committed to stamping out this exploitative practice.

In addition to this welcome new legislation, we are also continuing to provide training and guidance to equip the police, social workers and other frontline professionals to support and safeguard victims.

Child marriage is often associated with domestic abuse towards girls, leaving education early, limited career opportunities, and serious physical and mental health problems. The change honours the government’s commitment to the pledge made to the United Nations to end child marriage by 2030.

Previously forced marriage was only an offence if the person uses a type of coercion, for example threats, to cause someone to marry.

It is now an offence to cause a child under the age of 18 to enter a marriage in any circumstances, without the need to prove that a form of coercion was used. This includes non-legally binding ‘traditional’ ceremonies which would still be viewed as marriages by the parties and their families.

Natasha Rattu, Director of Karma Nirvana (a member of the Girls Not Brides Coalition), said:

The change to legislation on child marriage is a huge victory for survivors. It is a huge leap forward to tackling this usually hidden abuse and will provide a greater degree of protection to those at risk.

Last year, the national Honour Based Abuse helpline supported 64 cases of child marriage, representing only a small picture of a much bigger problem. We hope that the new law will help to increase identification and reporting, affording greater protection to children at risk.

In 2021 the government’s Forced Marriage Unit provided advice or support in 118 cases involving victims below 18 years of age. The courts have also issued 3,343 Forced Marriage Protection Orders between their introduction in 2008 and September 2022 which prevents someone from using threats, violence or emotional abuse as a way to force a person into marriage.

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

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of 8 Court Examiners for 5 years from 1 March 2023.

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

Nightingale Courts across England and Wales are being kept open for another year to reduce waiting times and deliver swift justice for victims.

A total of 24 temporary courtrooms, which were set up to boost capacity during the pandemic, will remain open in 2023 to allow more cases to be heard.

The government is investing £477 million over next three years to tackle the Crown Court backlog which significantly increased because of the pandemic. This includes allowing courts to run at full capacity, doubling the sentencing powers of Magistrates, and recruiting even more judges.

The number of cases in the backlog fell by almost 800 cases in the last 2 months of 2022, after barristers ended strike action.

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

We are determined to provide the swift justice that victims deserve, and Nightingale courts have a vital role to play as our justice system continues to recover from the unprecedented impact of the pandemic and last year’s strike action.

The Crown Court backlog is now falling once again, and the continued use of these courtrooms will help to drive it down even further.

Nightingale courts were introduced in 2020 when buildings such as sports arenas, hotels, and conference centres were rapidly transformed into courtrooms to provide more space for jury trials in line with social distancing restrictions. Following their success, the use of temporary courtrooms has continued to provide additional capacity.

Today’s (17 February 2023) announcement marks the third year of the use of Nightingale courts and comes alongside a raft of measures implemented by the Ministry of Justice to tackle the backlog court cases.

Last year, the government lifted the cap on the number of days courts can sit to help them run at maximum capacity, and doubled Magistrates’ sentencing powers so they can hear more cases, freeing up an estimated 1,700 extra days of Crown Court time each year.

Recruiting even more new judges and raising the statutory retirement age is also helping meet increased demand, estimated to retain hundreds of judges and as many as 2,000 magistrates every year.

As a result, the outstanding caseload in the Crown Court fell from a peak of around 60,900 cases during the pandemic in June 2021, to 58,200 at the end of March 2022, prior to strikes by the Criminal Bar Association when outstanding caseload rose to 62,000 in October 2022.

Outstanding cases in the Magistrates’ Court have fallen by nearly a quarter since July 2020.

Notes to editors

• Cloth Hall court in Leeds will no longer operate as a Nightingale court from April 2023 when HMCTS no longer has use of the building. Cases after this time will be heard in nearby courts in Leeds and Bradford.
• Nightingale courtrooms will remain open at the following 11 sites:
  • Former court, Chichester (two Crown court rooms)
  • Former county court, Telford (three civil and family court rooms)
  • Maple House, Birmingham (two crown Court rooms and two civil family and/or tribunal court rooms)
  • Former Magistrates court, Fleetwood (two civil and family court rooms)
  • Civic Centre, Swansea (one Crown court room)
  • Former Magistrates’ court, Cirencester (one Crown court room, one Magistrates rooms)
  • Barbican, London (two Crown court rooms)
  • Leonardo Hotel Croydon (two Crown court rooms)
  • Grand Connaught Rooms, London (two Crown court rooms)
  • Maidstone – Mercure (two Crown court rooms)
  • Wolverhampton Park Hall Hotel (two Crown court rooms)

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 10 February 2023.

Thousands of prisoners are getting clean thanks to a doubling of drug-free wings in jails as the government’s war on addiction steps up a gear.

New Incentivised Substance Free Living Units are now up and running in 45 prisons across England and Wales – getting addicts off illicit drugs and reducing their reliance on synthetic opiates like methadone.

Figures show around half of prisoners are addicted to drugs, while crack and heroin addicts account for two-thirds of shoplifting offences and half of burglaries, blighting communities up and down the country.

Yet offenders who are supported to get off drugs for good are 19 percentage points less likely to slip back into a life of crime.

The new wings will make sure prisons are places where criminals get – and stay – clean while they pay their debt to society, instead of languishing on drug substitutes like methadone which can hinder their rehabilitation.

Today’s news, alongside tough new security including X-ray body scanners, forms a cornerstone of the government’s strategy to break the cycle of addiction and re-offending which costs the tax-payer £19 billion a year.

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

We are clamping down on drugs behind bars with tough new security, but we know reducing supply is not enough to break the cycle of addiction and offending.

Our new drug-free units and drug recovery wings will help prisoners tackle their addictions, including to opiate substitutes like methadone, in turn cutting their risk of reoffending and creating safer streets.

The government is also investing in up to 18 drug recovery wings where prisoners can go through 6 months of intensive abstinence-based treatment to break their reliance on methadone as well as dangerous substances.

On the new incentivised units, offenders will tackle their addictions through substance misuse courses and regular drug testing

In exchange, prisoners who are making progress towards getting clean receive extra time out of cell for education and work opportunities and, once they’ve turned their back on drugs for good, including substitutes like methadone, the prospect of being transferred to a drug recovery wing for 6 months of intensive, fully abstinence-based treatment.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 7 February 2023.

Fraudsters are offering false ‘common law’ car insurance and claiming that the insurance is backed by the holder’s ‘cestui que vie trust’.

We’re aware of fraudsters claiming to sell car insurance and advising users to claim the funds from a personal trust held by the government. They have called it a ‘cestui que vie trust’. Others are selling instructions on how to claim the funds.

Cestui que vie trusts

A cestui que vie trust does not exist and there’s no such trust held by the government. The phrase appears to be a combination of 2 genuine legal terms:

• ‘cestui que trust’, which means someone entitled to money in a trust which has been set up for their benefit
• ‘cestui qui vie’, which means a holder of a life interest in land which was settled on them before life interests were abolished in 1997, or the holder of a lifetime lease

The term has been used from time to time by people claiming that it means they do not have to pay debts or comply with court orders, but there’s no reported example of this being successful in the UK.

What this means

A cestui que vie trust is a made-up term and does not exist.  There’s no fund held by the government which you can claim against. This means that the car insurance is not backed by any funds and holders are driving without insurance.

It’s illegal to drive a vehicle on a road or public place without valid insurance. If you’re not correctly insured, you can be penalised. You could receive a fixed penalty, or be prosecuted in court, and the police might seize your car.

Protecting yourself from scams

We advise you to:

• recognise the signs – always take a moment to stop and think before parting with money or your personal information
• check GOV.UK for information on how to avoid and report scams

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 7 February 2023.

The Secretary of State for Justice has announced the appointments of Duwayne Brooks OBE and Phillip Bowen as members of the Youth Justice Board.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 6 February 2023.

The Lord Chancellor, after consulting the Lord Chief Justice, has approved the appointment of Alan Kershaw as Chair of the Legal Services Board (LSB) for 4 years from 1 April 2023.

LSB is the independent body overseeing the regulation of lawyers in England and Wales. Its goal is to reform and modernise the legal services marketplace by putting the interests of consumers at the heart of the system. It is independent of government and the legal profession and oversees approved regulators which – themselves – regulate lawyers.

LSB also oversees the Office for Legal Complaints and its administration of the Legal Ombudsman scheme that resolves complaints about lawyers.

Appointments and re-appointments are made by the Lord Chancellor and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. This appointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Biography

Alan Kershaw, since 2020, has been Chair of the Architects’ Registration Board. He holds a number of part-time appointments in professional standards settings and regulation, including Chair of the National Register of Public Service Interpreters.

He is currently an Independent Member of the Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg) and of the Admissions and Licensing Committee of CILEX Regulation. He will resign from his roles at IPReg and CILEX on 31 March 2023.

 

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

Construction firms have pitched up in prisons across England and Wales for the latest major drive to match offenders with jobs in sectors facing skill shortages and cut crime.

More than 80 ‘Unlocking Construction’ events have been held in over 60 prisons as part of a two-week campaign – with scaffolders, crane operatives and building site managers among those showing offenders the ropes in their industry.

Firms have laid the crucial groundwork for prisoner job hunts, with guidance on CV building, interview training and hands-on workshops giving them the chance to secure work ahead of release.

At HMP Wormwood Scrubs, prisoners have also been given an insight into the scaffolding sector using special virtual reality technology that simulates working at height on a building site – helping prisoners to determine if the job is right for them and increasing the chance that successful applicants stick with it.

Evidence shows that ex-prisoners who have a job to go to are nine percentage points less likely to go on to re-offend while 90% of businesses that employ them found reliable, motivated and trustworthy staff.

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

Campaigns like Unlocking Construction are steering offenders into work and away from crime, leaving our streets safer.

At the same time, businesses can plug skills gaps with reliable and motivated staff – so it is good for our economy.

As well as helping cut reoffending, the drive is specifically geared towards plugging gaps in essential workforces too, getting prison leavers to contribute to their local economies and boost growth.

This is the second of four campaigns to run over the year led by the Prison Service’s New Futures Network. Manufacturing and retail and logistics drives are earmarked for the coming months.

The construction push builds on the success of Unlocking Hospitality in October which saw almost 50 prisoners land jobs and 150 interviews conducted in the campaign fortnight alone.

One ex-offender who landed a job as a chef as a result of the scheme has since taken on leadership responsibilities in the kitchen and is working to get more prisoners to follow his path.

National Access & Scaffolding Confederation training manager, Henry Annafi, said:

If you get a successful candidate, what I can absolutely guarantee is loyalty – because you’re giving them an opportunity that very few if any people have given them and they will pay you back tenfold in that respect.

Plus there are so many diverse experiences and skillsets that many of these men and women have that it is actually a no-brainer to give people that chance.

A participating prisoner at Wormwood Scrubs said the day’s event, and others like it, would help prisoners to “engage their mind” and offer them “something positive to do on release”.

A lot of prisoners have got skills, but they’re not being utilised, because we’ve committed a crime, so people don’t want to give us a second chance,” he added.

But stuff like this enables prisoners to bring out their skillset and be the best they can be.

Getting prisoners into work is a tried-and-tested way of cutting crime. The government’s Prisons White Paper sets out a strategy to reduce reoffending and keep the public safe, with a laser-focus on helping prisoners develop the skills they need to find work on release and turn their backs on crime.

The government is also investing to reduce reoffending, which includes helping prisoners develop the skills they need to find work on release and turn their backs on crime.