Live updates
- ITV Report
Thirteen people filed for divorce online on Christmas Day, figures reveal
More than 450 applications in England and Wales over holiday period, MoJ reveals.
Read the full story ›- ITV Report
'I don't want any more families having to learn to exist without their kids'
A mother whose two young sons were burnt to death by her ex-husband has told ITV News more must be done to protect against abusive parents.
Read the full story ›Advertisement
- ITV Report
Tagging scheme a 'catastrophic' waste of money
The Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said at least £9 million has been squandered on a project that failed to deliver.
Read the full story ›- ITV Report
Can eagles stop drug-laden drones reaching prisons?
Drones are one way smugglers get contraband, including drugs, over barbed wire fences and high walls and to the prisoners beyond.
Read the full story ›- ITV Report
Numbers of offenders jailed for carrying knives soars
Over 100 people who are caught carrying knives are put behind bars every week as sentences get stricter, according to new figures.
Read the full story ›- ITV Report
Courts face disruption as barristers strike over cuts
Criminal courts face disruption on Monday as barristers join solicitors in striking in protest at cuts to legal aid.
Read the full story ›Advertisement
What did Gove learn on his MoJ 'work experience' trip?
The new Lord Chancellor spent six weeks visiting courts in England and Wales, now he wants to use what he saw to reform the justice system.
Read the full story ›NSPCC: 'More work needed' to support young witnesses
A pilot scheme that will allow victims and witnesses to give eveidence ahead of criminal trials will not necessarily make the system as child-friendly as it could be, the NSPCC's head of corporate affairs has said. Alan Wardle added:
We welcome the pilot and hope it paves the way for more children to be spared the ordeal of having to give live evidence in court. The pilot will not necessarily make the system as child-friendly as it could be, but is a positive step - offering children the opportunity to give their evidence and be cross examined in advance of the trial and sparing them the often lengthy wait for a court date which can cause unnecessary anxiety.
However, there is still more work to be done to ensure all young witnesses are supported by a justice system that is truly fit for children.
Victims and defendants 'entitled to a fair trial'
Vulnerable and intimidated witnesses should get specialist help throughout the criminal justice process, the assistant chief executive at Victim Support has said, as a new pilot scheme allowing evidence to be given ahead of criminal trials is due to be rolled out tomorrow. Adam Pemberton added:
We welcome these pilots because repeated, aggressive questioning of vulnerable witnesses in a packed courtroom cannot be the best way to obtain sound and accurate evidence.
Victims and witnesses are entitled to a fair trial as well as defendants and we believe pre-recorded evidence taken in a less intense environment and when events are fresher in the mind will help level the playing field.
Damian Green: Evidence scheme 'prioritises victim'
People who have experienced or reported horrific crimes should be given the highest possible level of protection and support, the Victims' Minister said, as a new pilot scheme which allows victims and witnesses to give evidence ahead of criminal trials is due to be rolled out.
Following a visit to Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court, Damian Green said: "If you have experienced a horrendous crime, giving evidence in the pressured environment of a live courtroom, in front of the jury and the public gallery, can be intimidating and perhaps too much to ask.
"That's why we are trying a new approach, the first of its kind, which prioritises the victim."