Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to prevent parental alienation.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government does not recognise the concept of “parental alienation” syndrome and does not think it is capable of diagnosis.
When proceedings involve allegations of this nature, the family court has processes to follow. Case law is clear that the court’s focus should be on identifying particular behaviour that is found to have taken place and the impact that behaviour may have had on the relationship with the child, rather than seeking to apply the label of “parental alienation”.
In December 2024 the Family Justice Council published guidance on “responding to a child’s unexplained reluctance, resistance or refusal to spend time with a parent and allegations of alienating behaviour”. The guidance is clear that where domestic abuse is found the victim cannot be found to have “alienated” the child. It provides a comprehensive overview of the reasons a child may reject a parent, including harmful parenting, and provides a clear framework for assessing whether alienating behaviours are present. Where alienating behaviours are found the guidance provides clear next steps.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help protect victims of predatory marriages.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government takes the issue of predatory marriage very seriously. Causing a person who lacks mental capacity to enter into a marriage is a criminal offence of forced marriage under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. In cases involving some vulnerable adults who lack the capacity to consent, coercion or pressure is not required for a marriage to be considered forced. The offence of forcing someone into a marriage carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment. Where it is suspected that a person is not entering into a marriage of their own free will or lacks the mental capacity to understand the nature of the marriage contract and to consent to it, proceedings will be stopped or deferred until the registrar is satisfied that the individual has the capacity to make an informed decision to marry.
The Government is giving careful consideration to recommendations for the reform of the law of wills following a report by the Law Commission published in May. This included measures that would help prevent predatory marriage, such as repealing the law that marriage has the effect of revoking an existing will.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support HM Prison and Probation Service.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice. It is responsible for carrying out sentences given by the courts, both in prisons and in the community. Its core objectives are to protect the public and rehabilitate people to reduce the risk of reoffending.
The Ministry of Justice and HMPPS work hand in glove to ensure that policy and operational delivery work together to deliver punishment that cuts crime, swifter justice for victims and ensure that the UK is a beacon for justice and the rule of law.
Policies and frameworks to achieve these outcomes are developed by Ministry of Justice policy and HMPPS operations in tandem. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HMPPS are committed to this close working relationship. For example, the Joint Strategic Policy Unit is a mixed MoJ / HMPPS team which reports jointly to HMPPS senior officials, as well as MoJ policy directors and ministers. This ensures that HMPPS and the MoJ are entirely joined up in responding to challenges in the prisons and probation system, as well as on longer-term strategic planning.
The MoJ is also supporting HMPPS with increased investment in both prisons and probation. Probation funding will increase by up to £700 million by the final year of the spending review. That is a 45% increase in annual budgets, which will support additional recruitment and investment in services that rehabilitate offenders and cut crime. A further £4.7 billion prison building investment has been confirmed, backing the largest expansion since the Victorians.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many super-injunctions were in place on 15 August 2025.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government does not routinely publish or hold centralised data on the number of super-injunctions currently in place, due to the sensitive and often confidential nature of such orders.
Where such orders are made, they are typically issued by the High Court under strict judicial oversight and may include provisions that prevent disclosure of their very existence.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the threshold is for the number of appeals that can be made in a family court hearing.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
There is no statutory limit on the number of oral requests that a party can make at any hearing for permission to appeal.
Appeals of family decisions to the family court and the High Court are governed by Part 30 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010 and Practice Directions 30A and 30B, which set out the legal and procedural requirements. This includes a clear process that must be followed if a party wishes to appeal a decision and sets out that most decisions will need permission to be appealed.
Part 30 and the relevant Practice Directions ensure that only appeals with a real prospect of success, or other compelling reasons, are given permission to appeal.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will review (a) legal protections for victims of fraud in civil courts and (b) the effectiveness of those protections against defendants who do not engage with court.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
A range of legal protections are available for victims of fraud in the civil courts. These include the ability to bring claims for misrepresentation, fraudulent representation/deceit, unlawful means conspiracy, unjust enrichment, dishonest assistance, knowing receipt, breach of trust, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and misappropriation of funds.
Where defendants do not engage with the court, a range of options are available to claimants. These include the ability to apply to the court for a freezing order, which may also be served on a third party to prevent assets being dissipated. Claimants can also seek an order for defendants to attend court to provide information to assist enforcement, or a receivership order to manage the respondent’s assets. Committal proceedings can be initiated for deliberate breaches of an injunction.
The Government has asked Jonathan Fisher KC to undertake work on Part Two of the Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences. The terms of reference for this review include considering whether there should be a greater role for civil penalties in tackling fraud committed against individuals and businesses. This review has been asked to report by December 2025 and the Government will respond thereafter.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of enforcement mechanisms for small claim judgements.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The civil courts offer several different enforcement methods that a judgment creditor may apply for to recover money owed on a court judgment. The Government is committed to ensuring that these processes are effective and fair. The Government welcomes the Civil Justice Council’s report about enforcement processes, which made a number of recommendations to make them more accessible and streamlined. The Government is considering these findings and will respond in due course.