Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the time taken for domestic abuse cases to reach a court hearing on the number of victims withdrawing support for a prosecution before trial.

Delays in the criminal justice system can have a significant impact on victims of domestic abuse. This Government is taking decisive action to revive our criminal court system to reduce delays and the impact they have on all victims, including those involved in domestic abuse.

We are investing heavily in Crown Court capacity, court infrastructure, uncapped sitting days, technology and legal aid. We are driving greater efficiency in the courts through measures such as responsible AI innovation, case coordinators for every Crown Court centre, and close collaboration with the judiciary on their reforms to listing practices and virtual hearings guidance.

We have also brought forward structural reforms via the Courts and Tribunals Bill which is currently before Parliament. Measures in the Bill are designed ease pressure on the Crown Court, ensure proportionate allocation of resource, and redress the balance between victims and defendants. These measures make a commitment to reduce the Crown Court backlog and get victims their day in court more quickly.

Alongside wider support measures, pre-recorded cross-examination (section 28) can help reduce the impact of delays by enabling victims to give evidence earlier. The Ministry of Justice’s 2025 section 28 impact evaluation found that, between January 2019 and September 2022, the measure reduced the time between an alleged offence and cross-examination by around five months.

We are separately committed to improving the criminal court response to domestic abuse and as recommended by the Independent Sentencing Review. This includes looking at how to expand the use of Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts to achieve better outcomes for victims.

Furthermore, the Government is committed to ensuring all victims have access to the information and support they need to navigate the criminal justice system. The Ministry of Justice is supporting victims with the largest ever investment of over £550 million in victim support services over the next three years. This includes Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to commission local victim support services for all victims of crime, based on their assessment of local need, including those affected by domestic abuse.