Steve Witherden
Main Page: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)Department Debates - View all Steve Witherden's debates with the Ministry of Justice
(1 day, 11 hours ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Sarah Sackman
I thank the hon. Lady for raising an important point. The starting point is that judges decide what evidence is admissible and what weight to give to that, but we are interested in how evidence is being used in criminal trials. The Courts and Tribunals Bill will make changes—for example, to defendants’ bad character evidence. This will clarify that if a defendant has a previous domestic abuse conviction, the judge can say that this shows that they have a propensity to commit further domestic abuse offences, but I am happy to work with the hon. Lady on what further changes might be beneficial.
Steve Witherden (Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Jake Richards)
My hon. Friend will no doubt be aware that this important matter falls under the remit of the Home Secretary, with whom I am in full agreement that the right to peaceful protest is a vital part of our democracy. However, peaceful protest does not extend to unlawful behaviour. Should a protest contravene the law, the police have the powers to respond, and such behaviour will be met with appropriate consequences.
Steve Witherden
Proposals to restrict the right to protest based on “cumulative disruption” are causing great concern. It is absurd that a march by an anti-racist group one week could be blocked because an anti-abortion march occurred the week before, and that this power could be extended across large parts of a city. Such a significant change demands proper scrutiny. This House must have adequate time to debate and vote on this issue. Can my hon. Friend the Minister guarantee that?
Jake Richards
As my hon. Friend knows, this is a matter for the Home Secretary. If my hon. Friend seeks parliamentary time for a debate, he should come to business questions on Thursday morning.