Tomorrow, Thursday 19 March the Lords Domestic
Abuse Act 2021 Committee will hear from two panels of witnesses
on how domestic abuse cases are handled in both the Criminal and
Family courts. The sessions will examine the specific measures in
the Act with regard to the protection of victims and witnesses in
courts and a range of issues that affect criminal prosecutions
and the operation of family courts in general.
The first session will start at 10.35am and the second
session at 11.40am. Both sessions will be available to watch live
or on demand at Parliament
TV or attend in person in Committee Room 1, Palace
of Westminster.
The Committee will launch its call for evidence,
including details of how to make submissions on its
website
in due course, likely to be in the next week.
Giving evidence will be:
10.35am
-
Tanya Allen, Programme Manager for Courts
& Criminal Justice, Standing Together Against Domestic
Abuse; and
-
Kate Brown, Chief Crown Prosecutor, Crown
Prosecution Service.
11.40am
-
Elspeth Thomson, National Committee of
Resolution, Partner, David Gray Solicitors LLP;
-
Ursula Lindenberg, Pioneer, SafeLives; and
-
Dr Charlotte Proudman, Founder and In-house
counsel, Proudmans.
Questions will include:
- What particular issues affect the successful progress of a
domestic abuse case to court? What could be done to mitigate any
of these issues?
- What issues arise for victims and survivors of domestic abuse
with regard to their attitude towards using and appearing in the
family courts?
- What issues have arisen in how the criminal courts prosecute
the new offences introduced under the Domestic Abuse Act such as
‘coercive and controlling behaviour' and ‘non-fatal
strangulation'?
- Can you outline some of the “special measures” that the
Domestic Abuse Act has introduced to protect victims/survivors
and witnesses in court?
- What effect has the prohibition on perpetrators cross
examining their victim had on victims/survivors in the family
courts? Have there been any issues in how this measure has been
used?
