Question follow-through · 124919

Domestic Abuse: Criminal Proceedings

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of defendants changing a plea from not guilty to guilty at a late stage in proceedings on victims of offences of controlling or coercive behaviour under the Ser

answeredMinistry of Justice

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Tabled
10 Apr 2026
Target answer date
14 Apr 2026
Answer
20 Apr 2026 · 10 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

Votes on this topic

These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.

Recorded timeline

  1. 10 Apr 2026

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of defendants changing a plea from not guilty to guilty at a late stage in proceedings on victims of offences of controlling or coercive behaviour under the Ser

  2. 14 Apr 2026

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 20 Apr 2026

    Answer published

    We recognise that guilty pleas made earlier in the process can save victims and witnesses from the concern of having to give evidence, particularly in cases involving controlling or coercive behaviour or domestic abuse. Even if an offender pleads later in...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

No later same-department questions indexed.

This is an absence in covered public data, not evidence that no follow-up occurred elsewhere.