More domestic abuse courts needed, says MP
More domestic abuse courts needed, says MP
Stuart Woodward - EssexMon, October 26, 2026 at 5:39 AM UTC
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Marie Goldman said Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts would ease pressure on the rest of the court system
An MP has called for more Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts [SDACs] to be established across the country "to better protect victims".
First piloted in England and Wales in 1999, SDACs use existing court facilities to streamline domestic abuse cases for those involved.
Chelmsford Liberal Democrat Marie Goldman told the BBC that delays in the court system meant victims were "less likely to report crimes".
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it was considering expanding specialist domestic abuse courts, and supporting victims was "a priority".
Goldman pointed to data released on Thursday by the Office for National Statistics, highlighting that "one in 10 adults in England and Wales had experienced domestic abuse in the last year alone".
"These figures are absolutely huge, and there's a massive backlog in our court system," she told BBC Essex presenter Ben Fryer.
"If we don't… deal with this quickly, that means that victims are less likely to report crimes, they're more likely to suffer repeated offences as well and it just gets worse."
The MoJ would not confirm, when asked by the BBC, how many SDACs had been set up in England and Wales.
The court system had been under-invested "for many, many years", the Chelmsford MP said
The MP said she wrote to the justice secretary following discussions with Essex Police, the Crown Prosecution Service and other local legal professionals.
She said that specialist courts allowed for "reasonable adjustments" to be made, to prevent victims from dropping out of cases.
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SDACs can combine several domestic abuse cases on the same day, pooling resources, and offer more specialised support to victims such as ensuring they are able to enter the court building via a different entrance to their alleged perpetrators.
Goldman praised the work done by Essex Police in tackling domestic abuse, but said the force "needs support from the court system" which was backlogged "because of underinvestment in the courts for many, many years".
"I'd like to see [SDACs] rolled out right the way across the country, but why not start with the next one being in Chelmsford?"
'High priority'
The MoJ confirmed to the BBC that it was in the process of responding to Goldman's letter.
"Supporting victims at court is a priority, and we are actively considering expanding specialist domestic abuse courts," a spokesperson said.
"We have also introduced a domestic abuse marker, making domestic abuse more visible in the justice system and improving how offenders are identified, so perpetrators can be better managed and victims better protected."
They said it was spending £1.05bn over the next three years on specialist domestic abuse services, which included the cost of putting victims and their children in safe accommodation.
An Essex Police spokesperson said: "Securing justice for victims of domestic abuse is one of our highest priorities as a force.
"We are in regular contact with partners and charities engaged in the criminal justice system to assess the most effective way to achieve this, and welcome any measures that will help us support that goal."
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Victims bear the brunt of 'awful' court delays
More domestic abuse help for 999 control rooms
Related internet links
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Essex Police
Ministry of Justice
Source: “AOL Breaking”
