Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the misuse of legal aid and family court proceedings as a means of perpetrating economic abuse and coercive control.

This Government recognises that domestic abuse can take many forms, including economic abuse and controlling or coercive behaviour.

The family court has a range of powers to protect victims. This includes the provision of special measures to ensure victims are fully supported throughout proceedings, the power to appoint an appropriately qualified person to undertake cross-examination instead of a perpetrator, and where repeated applications may be a continuing form of abuse the court can make an order requiring a perpetrator to obtain the permission of the court before making a further application.

Legal aid supports victims of domestic abuse to uphold their legal rights.

Civil legal aid is available to an individual, provided that their case is in scope of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO). For private family matters such as child arrangements or financial remedy proceedings, legal aid may be available if an individual is a victim of domestic abuse or at risk of being abused. Funding is subject to providing the required evidence of domestic abuse and passing the means and merits tests.