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Written Question
Trials: Social Media
Tuesday 27th January 2026

Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to support the prosecution of (a) individuals who post comments online about defendants prior to trial which could prejudice legal proceedings, and (b) the tech platforms on which those comments are published.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Contempt of Court Act 1981 is clear that publishing information that creates a substantial risk of serious prejudice or impediment to any active proceedings can be contempt of court. These rules and restrictions are in place to ensure that trials are fair and justice is delivered.

The Government recognises that social media is putting these long-established rules under strain especially in cases where partial or inaccurate information appears online. This is why we asked the Law Commission to expedite part of their review on contempt of court. In November 2025, the Law Commission published part 1 of their report setting out recommendations for a new framework of contempt liability. The Government is considering their recommendations.


Written Question
War Crimes: Russia
Tuesday 26th July 2022

Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, whether her Department is providing support to the office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine in prosecuting war crimes.

Answered by Edward Timpson

The Government is appalled by the atrocities being committed in Ukraine by Russian forces, including the targeting of civilians, mass graves, and rape and sexual violence being used as weapons of war. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine, at the forefront of international efforts to ensure there is no impunity. The Attorney General personally had a long and very fruitful dialogue with the former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, having signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with her to underline UK support for her Office’s work investigating and prosecuting crimes committed in the course of the conflict. The Attorney General visited the former Prosecutor General in Ukraine and hosted her for a two-day visit in London at the end of May. We look forward to continuing working closely with the Prosecutor General’s Office. Importantly, the Attorney General appointed Sir Howard Morrison QC, one of the UK’s leading war crimes lawyers, to support the Prosecutor General directly on Ukraine’s domestic investigations. The Attorney General also convened a meeting of the Quintet of Attorneys General from the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with Prosecutor General Venediktova. Following this meeting, we published a joint statement which makes clear our countries’ support for Ukraine’s domestics war crimes investigations and prosecutions, and our commitment to work together with the Prosecutor General and Office of the Prosecutor General to ensure every perpetrator faces justice. The preservation and collection of evidence is vital. The UK, together with the United States and EU, has launched the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA) to directly support the War Crimes Units of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine in its investigation and prosecution of conflict-related crimes. The ACA seeks to streamline coordination and communication efforts to ensure best practices, avoid duplication of efforts, and encourage the expeditious deployment of financial resources and skilled personnel to respond to the needs of the Office of the Prosecutor General as the legally constituted authority in Ukraine responsible for dealing with the prosecution of war crimes on its own territory. This shows the Government’s clear commitment to supporting Ukraine in its investigations. We will continue to work with Ukraine, partners and international mechanisms in their investigations and to collect and preserve evidence of war crimes in Ukraine. Those responsible will be held to account.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 15 Jan 2019
European Union (Withdrawal) Act

"In June 2016, after 40 years—a generation—my constituents, along with the rest of the country, were given a voice on the European question. My constituency overwhelmingly voted to leave the European Union. Tonight I will honour their views and their voice, and—to paraphrase my right hon. Friend the Member for …..."
Mark Pritchard - View Speech

View all Mark Pritchard (Con - The Wrekin) contributions to the debate on: European Union (Withdrawal) Act

Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 22 May 2018
Child Sexual Exploitation and Consent to Sexual Intercourse

"I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this debate on an important local and national issue, and on attracting to the debate the Solicitor General, who is probably the most qualified person in Parliament to respond. The police can always learn lessons, but charging decisions are often a joint exercise …..."
Mark Pritchard - View Speech

View all Mark Pritchard (Con - The Wrekin) contributions to the debate on: Child Sexual Exploitation and Consent to Sexual Intercourse

Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 15 May 2018
Public Legal Education

"For the sake of clarity, this debate may now run until 4.17 pm, and the sitting as late as 5.50 pm, unless there are more Divisions in the House—that is not currently anticipated, but who knows?..."
Mark Pritchard - View Speech

View all Mark Pritchard (Con - The Wrekin) contributions to the debate on: Public Legal Education

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 25 Feb 2016
Oral Answers to Questions

"In an unsafe world, we need to keep the United Kingdom, and indeed our European partners, safe. With the security charter for the draft Investigatory Powers Bill, how will the Government get the balance right between civil liberties on the one hand and national security on the other?..."
Mark Pritchard - View Speech

View all Mark Pritchard (Con - The Wrekin) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions

Written Question
Armed Conflict: Human Rights
Thursday 10th December 2015

Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what discussions he has had with the Secretaries of State for Defence and International Development on ensuring that full and proper account is taken of the importance of international humanitarian law in areas of potential conflict and war.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

I meet regularlywith Ministerial colleagues to discuss important issues of common interest, including on international humanitarian law. I am not able to talk about any legal content of those discussions because, by convention, whether the Law Officers have given advice or not is not disclosed outside Government. All legal advice provided by the Law Officers is confidential and subject to legal professional privilege.


Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 09 Oct 2013
Abortion Act

"Five hon. Members have indicated that they wish to speak, and I do not want to impose a time limit so I hope that colleagues will be mindful of others, given that I want the wind-ups to start at 3.40...."
Mark Pritchard - View Speech

View all Mark Pritchard (Con - The Wrekin) contributions to the debate on: Abortion Act

Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 09 Oct 2013
Abortion Act

"Before I call the Attorney-General, I note, just for Hansard, the unusual circumstances in which we have present at the debate three Ministers: the Minister responsible for public health, the hon. Member for Battersea (Jane Ellison); the Solicitor-General; and the Attorney-General...."
Mark Pritchard - View Speech

View all Mark Pritchard (Con - The Wrekin) contributions to the debate on: Abortion Act

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 26 Jul 2010
Ian Tomlinson

"Is it not time that coroners were issued with new guidance that they should not appoint pathologists when there is a direct and/or present relationship with the police force they are investigating?..."
Mark Pritchard - View Speech

View all Mark Pritchard (Con - The Wrekin) contributions to the debate on: Ian Tomlinson