Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bellamy on 28 March (HL Deb col 121), what options are being considered to properly support jurors adversely affected by sitting on a jury.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is one of the most important civic duties that anyone can be asked to undertake and we greatly value the contribution of jurors to the criminal justice system. We are currently looking at what more can be done to support jurors who may find their service distressing. Part of this work is to better understand the issue, including potentially commissioning research, so that we can identify how that need could be most appropriately met. Officials are working with HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and will consult as necessary with other stakeholders such as the judiciary on this matter. The Government is not yet in a position to indicate a definite timetable for this work.
In addition to this work, we are drawing up guidance to assist any courts that are looking to offer additional support to a jury panel, to ensure that whatever support is offered is appropriate and as consistent as possible across England and Wales. This guidance should be available by the summer.
Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bellamy on 28 March (HL Deb col 121), which stakeholders and other participants in criminal trials they are consulting on the options to offer better support to those taking part in such criminal trials.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is one of the most important civic duties that anyone can be asked to undertake and we greatly value the contribution of jurors to the criminal justice system. We are currently looking at what more can be done to support jurors who may find their service distressing. Part of this work is to better understand the issue, including potentially commissioning research, so that we can identify how that need could be most appropriately met. Officials are working with HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and will consult as necessary with other stakeholders such as the judiciary on this matter. The Government is not yet in a position to indicate a definite timetable for this work.
In addition to this work, we are drawing up guidance to assist any courts that are looking to offer additional support to a jury panel, to ensure that whatever support is offered is appropriate and as consistent as possible across England and Wales. This guidance should be available by the summer.
Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bellamy on 28 March (HL Deb col 121), how long the consideration of options to properly support jurors adversely affected by sitting on a jury will take.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is one of the most important civic duties that anyone can be asked to undertake and we greatly value the contribution of jurors to the criminal justice system. We are currently looking at what more can be done to support jurors who may find their service distressing. Part of this work is to better understand the issue, including potentially commissioning research, so that we can identify how that need could be most appropriately met. Officials are working with HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and will consult as necessary with other stakeholders such as the judiciary on this matter. The Government is not yet in a position to indicate a definite timetable for this work.
In addition to this work, we are drawing up guidance to assist any courts that are looking to offer additional support to a jury panel, to ensure that whatever support is offered is appropriate and as consistent as possible across England and Wales. This guidance should be available by the summer.
Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bellamy on 28 March (HL Deb col 121), what research they have commissioned on the psychological effects on jurors of their jury service.
Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Jury service is one of the most important civic duties that anyone can be asked to undertake and we greatly value the contribution of jurors to the criminal justice system. We are currently looking at what more can be done to support jurors who may find their service distressing. Part of this work is to better understand the issue, including potentially commissioning research, so that we can identify how that need could be most appropriately met. Officials are working with HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and will consult as necessary with other stakeholders such as the judiciary on this matter. The Government is not yet in a position to indicate a definite timetable for this work.
In addition to this work, we are drawing up guidance to assist any courts that are looking to offer additional support to a jury panel, to ensure that whatever support is offered is appropriate and as consistent as possible across England and Wales. This guidance should be available by the summer.
Asked by: Baroness Berridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for enacting legislation to provide financial relief under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 to victims of forced marriages whose religious marriages are not binding under UK law as outlined in section 121(4) of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
The Government is clear that forced marriage is a terrible form of abuse and that we will not allow political or cultural sensitivities to get in the way of tackling it.
However, the purpose of Part II of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 is to set out how the Court orders financial provision on the legal ending of marriage.
Since forced marriage was made a criminal offence in England and Wales in 2014, the Government has continued to introduce measures to protect victims, including lifelong anonymity in 2017. Last month, the Home Secretary launched a consultation to seek views on whether it is necessary to introduce a new legal mandatory reporting duty relating to cases of forced marriage. That consultation also seeks views on how the current guidance on forced marriage could be improved and strengthened.
The Government is committed to keeping this area of family justice under review.