Ellie Reeves

Violence against Women and Girls: Prosecutions

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that important point, and am happy to engage further on these really important matters.

Courts and Tribunals Bill

As always, my hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point. I understand that measures are being taken to recruit more magistrates from more diverse backgrounds. Magistrates are the cornerstone of local justice and it is right that they represent the communities in which they are taking decisions.

Violence against Women and Girls: Prosecutions

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that question—I know he is a strong champion on these issues. He talked about timeliness; the domestic abuse charging authority pilot, which I visited recently in Wales, is showing huge improvements in getting domestic abuse cases to court, which in turn helps with victim attrition. Turning to his point about Cornwall, I am pleased to inform him that from July 2024 to March 2026, the CPS charged over 2,800 offenders with domestic abuse, and over 2,300 were convicte

Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme

I thank my hon. Friend for attending the unduly lenient sentence scheme victims roundtable on Monday evening. I know what a strong advocate she is for her constituent Katie Brett, whose sister Sasha was brutally murdered. Victims and families should always be informed about the scheme, but I know that that does not always happen, and I know how grief is compounded if an application is then rejected out of time. That is not good enough, and that is why I am working with the Ministry of Justice to

Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme

I welcomed the opportunity to meet with the hon. Gentleman recently to discuss these issues in more detail. May I take this opportunity to pay tribute to Tracey Hanson, who has been a tireless campaigner for victims of serious crime, particularly in relation to unduly lenient sentences, following the tragic loss of her son Josh? Organisations such as the Josh Hanson Trust do vital work in this area. As I said in answer to the previous question, I am working with Ministry of Justice colleagues to

Violence against Women and Girls: Prosecutions

I know that my hon. Friend is a strong advocate for tackling violence against women and girls, and I am proud of our cross-Government strategy to do just that, which we set out in December. I would be more than happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss these issues in more detail.

Courts and Tribunals Bill

The hon. Lady will be well aware that we are not removing jury trials; they will remain a cornerstone of this justice system. The reality is that the vast majority of cases heard in this country—90%—are not heard by a jury, so it is wrong to say that we are getting rid of jury trials. Some cases involving sentences that are expected to be three years or less will be triable either way, which will be heard by a judge. Judges act without fear or favour, and they swear a judicial oath, but jury tri

Courts and Tribunals Bill

May I first pay tribute to the hon. Lady’s tireless campaigning on behalf of her constituents, Paula and Tony Hudgell? I am pleased that the Government have now announced a child cruelty register. In relation to the points made by the hon. Lady, Sir Brian Leveson—an incredibly well regarded and experienced lawyer—took months on his two reports, which set out a huge number of recommendations. The hon. Lady talks about choices. Well, we inherited a court system on its knees, with rape victims wait

Courts and Tribunals Bill

My hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point. I am sure that the whole House will want to pay tribute to Claire Throssell for her tireless campaigning and to the memory of her two children, Jack and Paul. Every child deserves to be safe and every family deserves a justice system that they can trust. We need to make sure that what happened to Claire and her children never happens again. That is why this Government are introducing the measure to repeal the presumption of parental involvement

Courts and Tribunals Bill

The reforms that the right hon. Gentleman refers to come after Sir Brian Leveson set out a report with 135 recommendations, making it clear that investment in the justice system alone would not solve the backlog left by the previous Conservative Government and that reform is also needed. Estimates show that it will reduce cases by 20%, although, given the modelling from Canada, those are likely conservative estimates.

Courts and Tribunals Bill

The Government’s reforms will focus on delivering faster and fairer justice for victims. That includes removing the presumption of parental involvement to prioritise what is in the best interests of children after tireless campaigning by Claire Throssell, whose two sons, Jack and Paul, were killed by their father after their parents’ separation. Reforms also include strengthening the use of special measures and preventing the misuse of evidence to unfairly undermine victims in court.

Serious Fraud Office

I recognise the vital role that whistleblowers play in uncovering serious economic crime, and the need to ensure that they are properly protected and supported when they come forward. Through the recently launched UK anti-corruption strategy, the Government have committed to exploring opportunities to reform the UK whistleblowing framework, including through potential financial incentives. I will continue to work across Government to see how we can drive this work forward.

Courts and Tribunals Bill

The right hon. Gentleman will be aware that listing is a matter for the judiciary, but one proposal is a national listing framework to ensure that cases are listed as soon as possible. We are committed to supporting victims of rape and serious sexual violence. That is why we launched our landmark strategy in December to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. It is why we are investing over half a billion pounds in victim support services, including for victims of rape and serious se

Courts and Tribunals Bill

My hon. Friend is completely right, and she has considerable experience as a former Crown prosecutor. She will know that that is why we are investing £2.78 billion in the coming year, which includes over £280 million for vital repairs, digital upgrades and unlimited sitting days in the Crown court—record funding for our courts. Only the combination of reform, investment and modernisation will ultimately deliver faster and fairer justice.

Courts and Tribunals Bill

I am sure the hon. Gentleman listened to what the Deputy Prime Minister had to say at Justice questions two days ago. The reality is that the last Conservative Government left the justice system on its knees, with a backlog of 80,000 cases, which, without both investment and reform, will simply go up. That is why we are funding unlimited sitting days, increasing spending on criminal defence lawyers and investing in the crumbling courts that the last Government left behind. But Sir Brian was clea

Courts and Tribunals Bill

Let me say something about confidence. Victims are waiting three years, in some cases, for their rape case to get to court because of the backlogs we inherited from the last Conservative Government—that is not confidence in the justice system. That is why these reforms are necessary. We are clearing up the mess that the previous Government left us.

Courts and Tribunals Bill

My hon. Friend, as always, makes an extremely important point. I would be happy to discuss the comments of the Lady Chief Justice, with whom I meet regularly, with colleagues in the Ministry of Justice to get answers on that important issue.

Serious Fraud Office

I would like to pay tribute to Nick Ephgrave for his dedication, professionalism and tenacity during his tenure as director of the Serious Fraud Office. Over the past five years, the SFO has secured more than half a billion pounds through deferred prosecution agreements, sentencing outcomes and proceeds of crime orders, including recently securing guilty pleas from three former directors, who defrauded over 3,000 UK investors in a £70 million green investment fraud.

Violence against Women and Girls: Prosecutions

Today, I can announce an additional £5 million of funding for the CPS, which will be invested to benefit victims of domestic abuse. In three pilot areas, victims will be offered meetings with prosecutors ahead of Crown court trials, ensuring that their voices are heard and better supporting them to remain engaged in the criminal justice process. This offer is already available to victims of rape and serious sexual assault across the country. From speaking with prosecutors and victims, I know the

Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme

The Law Officers’ power to refer unduly lenient sentences to the Court of Appeal is a powerful way to ensure that justice is achieved in some of the most serious crimes. It gives a voice to victims, their families and the public in the sentencing of cases. Since my appointment as the Solicitor General in September last year, I have received requests to review the sentences imposed on 815 offenders. In the last six months, 30 offenders have had their sentences increased under the scheme.

Child Abduction and Custody Act 1985

I am very sorry to hear about the experience of my hon. Friend’s constituent—my hon. Friend is a great champion for them. I am not aware of the specific details, but if she writes to me, I will raise the case with the CPS, and, again, if helpful, I will facilitate a meeting for her with her local CPS area.

Child Abduction and Custody Act 1985

I am very sorry to hear of situation of the hon. Member’s constituents. I am aware that the hon. Member has met colleagues from the Ministry of Justice, and I commend her for her dedication to championing these issues. We are considering further qualitative research on the operation of the Hague convention in cases of domestic abuse, and we will ensure that research is given full and proper consideration. I am not sure of the exact details of her constituents’ cases, but if she writes to me with

Child Abduction and Custody Act 1985

I thank the hon. Lady for raising this question and for her continued work campaigning on child abduction and domestic abuse. The UK is actively engaged on this issue internationally and domestically. Where a child abduction offence has been committed, prosecutors will always consider the motivations and circumstances of the alleged abduction, recognising that some cases arise from complex family breakdowns. Ultimately, any decision will prioritise the safety and stability of the child.