Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department plans to take to help tackle misinformation in relation to cases which are sub judice.

Rules and restrictions on what can be said during ongoing court proceedings are vital to ensure that trials are fair and justice is delivered. However, the Government recognises that social media is putting these long-established rules under strain especially in cases where partial or inaccurate information appears online. The Law Commission are considering these issues as part of their review of the law on contempt of court. We have asked them to expedite those elements of the review relating to our ability to counter misinformation and advise on any changes needed to address the challenges this raises. The Commission are due to report later this year.