On 20 March, the Prisons and Courts Bill received its second reading in the House of Commons. The second reading stage of a bill is normally the first opportunity to debate it before parliament. At the time of writing, Legal Action understood that the committee stage, at which MPs will debate the bill in detail, would be timetabled for the last week of March.

Part 1 of the bill includes provisions to improve safety in prisons and to adopt the principle that the purpose of prisons is to reform and rehabilitate prisoners, as well as to punish them. Parts 2 and 3 of the bill concern the reform and reorganisation of the courts and tribunals system. Provisions include the greater use of technology in courts and more online services.

‘LAG welcomes much of what is included in this bill, such as the proposed new rules to prevent victims of domestic abuse being cross-examined by alleged perpetrators in the family courts. Our main problem is that this and other provisions require much more detail before we can be satisfied that they will improve the justice system,’ said Steve Hynes, LAG’s director.