Ellie Reeves MP: speeches

Speeches

• 4 Jun 2026 · Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  I first pay tribute to former Ministers Jess Phillips and Alex Davies-Jones for all their work to tackle violence against women and girls. At the CPS Crown advocacy conference last month, I highlighted the steps being taken to increase the volume of advocates available to prosecute rape. Since the summer of 2024, that group has grown by more than 50%, meaning that more rape cases can be heard and fewer will be vacated or abandoned. The Government have also set aside £6 million over the next two years to introduce independent legal advisers for victims of adult rape to help ensure that cases make it to prosecution.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for her really important question. There have been three successful prosecutions for FGM in this country, but that is not good enough. Last month I hosted the first ever FGM summit, bringing together colleagues across Government to discuss how we can tackle FGM by working not just with the justice system, but with health, education, communities and local government. It is really important that we tackle FGM. It is a form of violence against women and girls, and it must be stopped.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  The CPS has introduced an enhanced service for victims of rape and serious sexual violence. All victims of rape and serious sexual violence are now offered a meeting with the prosecution team before the case gets to trial and are allocated a dedicated victim liaison officer in the CPS to support them through the process. As I said, we are also introducing independent legal advisers. I have secured £5 million of funding to pilot that enhanced service, providing a prosecution team meeting and victim liaison officers to victims of domestic abuse in the Crown courts. I assure the hon. Gentleman that we are doing everything at our disposal to tackle violence against women and girls from within the CPS.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, and I commend the work of Kaleidoscopic UK in his constituency—I know how hard many organisations are working to tackle these issues. The Government are committed to rolling out child-focused courts nationally in the next three years, and we are investing £17 million to fund the next expansion, but I will happily pass his comments on to my colleagues in the Ministry of Justice who specifically deal with the issue of family courts.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  I point my hon. Friend to the measures that I have set out, including that enhanced offer for victims of rape and serious sexual violence and the pilot to extend that service to victims of domestic abuse in the Crown courts. It is important that we do everything we can to meet our ambition to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, which is why we have introduced measures such as Raneem’s law, embedding domestic abuse specialists in 999 call centres, and rolled out domestic abuse protection orders. We need to do everything we can to tackle the scourge of violence against women and girls.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for that question—I know that he is a huge champion on these issues. I was really pleased to secure that £5 million investment to enable victims of domestic abuse in the Crown court to be offered meetings with the prosecution team before a case gets to trial and to have the benefit of dedicated victim liaison officer. We know that attrition rates in these cases are still too high. That is why we are doing everything we can to bring them down. In Wales, for example, a domestic abuse charging pilot is going on, which enables the police to charge in some domestic abuse cases. We are seeing that significantly shorten the amount of time it takes to get a case into court, and we know that the quicker a case gets to court, the lower the attrition rate is likely to be. We are doing everything we can to tackle this issue.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Corporate Manslaughter: Prosecution · Hansard source

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  I recognise that all those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire have faced a long and deeply painful wait for answers. Justice needs to be delivered as swiftly as possible. I understand that my colleagues in the Ministry of Justice have been working for months with police, prosecutors and courts to ensure that the system is ready to hear complex cases without further delay.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Corporate Manslaughter: Prosecution · Hansard source

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  It is good to hear about those successful cases in Northern Ireland. There may be lessons to be learned from those, so I am happy to look into the detail and work with the hon. Gentleman.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Corporate Manslaughter: Prosecution · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend has been a tireless campaigner on behalf of the 72 victims of the Grenfell tragedy and their families. My thoughts—and, I am sure, those of the whole House—remain with the bereaved families, survivors and those affected. Introducing corporate manslaughter legislation was one of the great achievements of the last Labour Government. Cases involving allegations of corporate manslaughter are considered by specialist prosecutors in the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime division, which deals with some of the most complex and sensitive cases.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Domestic Abuse: Prosecution · Hansard source

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  Domestic abuse has a significant impact on victims and their families, and those who are brave enough to come forward deserve to have their cases resolved quickly. Earlier this year, as I have set out, I secured additional funding of £5 million, so that victims of domestic abuse in the Crown court get a pre-trial meeting with the prosecution team. I also visited Crown Prosecution Service Wales, where the police and CPS are piloting police-led charging decisions in some domestic abuse cases to speed up decision making and get justice for victims quickly.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Domestic Abuse: Prosecution · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that case on behalf of his constituent. He is right to highlight the fact that many people use financial abuse as a form of coercive, controlling behaviour and a form of domestic abuse, and we should call that what it is. I commend the bravery of any victims who come forward. If he writes to me about the case, I would be happy to look into it for him.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Jury Trials · Hansard source

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  The impact assessment, taken with the investment in the system, suggests that around 27,000 Crown court sitting days a year will be saved from 2028-29, speeding up justice for victims. The Institute for Government has agreed that the modelling is sound. That is likely to save about 20%, in terms of time.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Jury Trials · Hansard source

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  Access to a jury trial is determined by the seriousness of the alleged offending, not by who the defendant is. As the hon. Gentleman will know, likely sentence is already used to determine court allocation and is a feature of our system. Every defendant in the Crown court will receive a fair trial, and that is not affected by the mode of trial decision.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Jury Trials · Hansard source

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  As I set out, we inherited a courts system in crisis, with victims waiting years for their cases to get to court. We have all heard the stories of rape victims waiting three or four years for their cases to get to court. That is unacceptable, and it is why inaction is not an option, and why we have invested over £2.5 billion in our courts system. Jury trials will remain a cornerstone of our justice system. It is right, however—given the backlog that we face, and given that Sir Brian said that investment alone will not shift the dial—that we look at the jury system, which has not been looked at since the 1970s, to see what more we can do to make sure that cases get to court quicker and are heard, giving justice to both victims and defendants.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Jury Trials · Hansard source

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  I will take away the hon. Lady’s comments, discuss them with Justice Ministers and confirm the position to her in writing.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Jury Trials · Hansard source

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  This Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a backlog of 80,000 criminal cases in the Crown court. That is why we are investing over £2.5 billion in our courts to fund unlimited sitting days, boost legal aid and, ultimately, speed up justice for victims. Let me be clear: jury trials will remain a cornerstone of our justice system, but justice delayed is justice denied.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Victims: Right to Review · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Lady for raising this incredibly harrowing case. As she will be aware, Kenneth Law has pleaded guilty in Canada to 14 counts of aiding and abetting suicide. Every one of the 73 victims who died in England and Wales has been formally named and recognised as part of those proceedings. Extradition proceedings carry significant legal risk and run the risk of the victims in England and Wales not being involved in proceedings. As I understand it, the victim impact statement from those affected in England and Wales will now form part of the sentencing procedure in Canada. I know that the CPS is working with the victims’ families and the Canadian authorities to ensure that the bereaved families in England and Wales are at the heart of that process in Canada.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Victims: Right to Review · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for his comments and for highlighting the importance of the scheme for victims. We have already seen evidence of cases—which would otherwise have been stopped—continuing because of the pilot scheme. My hon. Friend is right that it is essential that victims are made aware of their right to request a review, if their case falls under the scheme, and that the CPS provides information about the scheme and how to access it. I hope we will see further roll-out of the scheme as soon as possible.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Victims: Right to Review · Hansard source

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  The victims’ right to review pilot gives rape victims the opportunity for their case to be reviewed by another lawyer if the Crown Prosecution Service is considering dropping the prosecution. I have personally pushed for its roll-out, as it helps ensure that victims are given fairness and dignity and are heard. In April, the pilot was extended to a fourth area, CPS Wales, and I am determined to see national roll-out before the end of the summer.

• 4 Jun 2026 · Victims: Right to Review · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting some of the steps already taken to support victims of rape and serious sexual violence. I am particularly proud of the introduction of independent legal advisers, which is something I worked on in opposition. It was a manifesto commitment, and I am pleased to see the Government deliver on it. The victims’ right to review pilot has now been rolled out in four CPS areas, and I hope to see a national roll-out before the end of the summer, so that victims across the country get the benefit of the scheme.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme · Hansard source

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  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.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme · Hansard source

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  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 find solutions.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme · Hansard source

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  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 see if we can find solutions to some of the issues raised today.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Courts and Tribunals Bill · Hansard source

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  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.

• 19 Mar 2026 · Courts and Tribunals Bill · Hansard source

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  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.