It is a response to worries that abusers were extending their abuse through the legal system and that court appearances were retraumatizing victims.
The modification is a part of the historic Domestic Abuse Act (2021). When there is proof of abuse, it prohibits parties from questioning one another cross-examination style.
Instead, a lawyer who has been chosen by the court will handle this to make sure that justice is still served equally for both sides.
For this crucial function, hundreds of lawyers have already signed up.
Senator Tom Pursglove, minister of justice, said:
Domestic abuse victims shouldn’t have to endure the additional suffering of being cross-examined by their abuser in court because being in court to discuss family matters can be upsetting.
This is currently prohibited in criminal proceedings, and as of today, it will also be prohibited in family and civil courts in order to safeguard victims, lessen their stress, and ensure that they receive a fair trial.
The modification is a result of government initiatives to lessen the stress associated with court appearances and improve victim support.
In order to reduce tension and encourage witnesses to provide their best testimony, it is also necessary to implement particular measures in family and civil courts, such as screens and separate entrances.
Only in situations where there is specific proof of domestic abuse between the parties, or when there is a conviction or protective order in effect between the parties, can the ban be enforced.
The administration released a draught of the Victims Bill earlier this year in an effort to give victims’ voices more weight across the criminal justice system.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and police are held to higher standards of responsibility under the Bill for the services they render to the public.
Over the next three years, victim support services will get more than £460 million in grant money, which will go toward paying for over 1,000 independent sexual and domestic violence advisors as well as a round-the-clock hotline for rape emergencies.