Dame Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, said: “It’s clear we need reform and greater investment in the court system and victim services if we’re to build back trust and ensure that victims see justice delivered.
“But ultimately what I hear most from survivors is how the lack of understanding amongst court professionals of domestic abuse and how it manifests is retraumatising and destabilising. No single reform to the court structure will change this. This is why we must see a deeper knowledge and understanding of domestic abuse and its impact developed at every level of the judiciary and at every stage of the court process. It’s critical that victims feel confident that their experience will be heard and responded to in a way that doesn’t perpetuate further harm.”