The Welsh Government published a Bill designed to place duties on Welsh ministers, local authorities, and local health boards to publish strategies aimed at ending domestic abuse, gender-based violence, and sexual violence; give power to the Welsh ministers to issue guidance to relevant authorities on how they should exercise their functions in this regard; and to provide for the appointment of a ministerial adviser.
Source: Gender-based Violence, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Bill, Welsh Government, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Welsh Government press release
Date: 2014-Jul
An article examined the role of the Youth Justice Board for Wales (YJB Cymru) in developing youth justice policy and practice in the partially-devolved context of Wales. It said that YJB Cymru had an increasingly important role in policy and practice development structures and processes in England and Wales, as well as in the Welsh national context specifically, fulfilling a role of 'dual influence' to mediate and manage youth justice tensions in the partially-devolved context.
Source: Stephen Case, 'Strategic complexities and opportunities in Welsh youth justice: exploring YJB Cymru', Safer Communities, Volume 13 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jul
A report examined the concept and application of 'community justice' in England and Wales, drawing on findings from a policy review, a review of existing data on civic participation, and empirical research on community activism in four deprived neighbourhoods (in north-east London, Bristol, Nottingham, and south Wales). The report concluded that 'community justice' was a worthwhile policy aspiration (if conceived largely as a matter of nurturing community spirit and informal social control) but it was difficult to promote the active participation of communities in the design or delivery of criminal justice services.
Source: Jessica Jacobson, Oonagh Skrine, Amy Kirby, and Gillian Hunter, Crime and 'Community': Exploring the scope for community involvement in criminal justice, Institute for Criminal Policy Research (Birkbeck, University of London)
Links: Report | ICPR press release
Date: 2014-Jun
A study examined violence against women, domestic abuse, and sexual violence in Wales, to inform the forthcoming Ending Violence Against Women and Domestic Abuse (Wales) Bill, implementation of the legislation, and future policy and funding decisions. The report said that there was a lack of robust data, but estimates showed that these were significant problems in Wales. It mapped service provision across the country and made a wide range of recommendations.
Source: Vashti Berry, Nicky Stanley, Lorraine Radford, Melanie McCarry, and Cath Larkins, Building Effective Responses: An independent review of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence services in Wales, Research Paper 45/2014, Welsh Government
Date: 2014-May
The government responded to a report by a joint committee of MPs and peers on proposals for the reform of legal aid in England and Wales.
Source: Government Response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights: The implications for access to justice of the Government's proposals to reform legal aid., Cm 8821, Ministry of Justice, TSO
Links: Response | JC report | MOJ press release
Date: 2014-Feb
The government began consultation on proposals to develop a new clear and specific criminal offence of ill-treatment or wilful neglect of patients and service users in England and Wales. The consultation would close on 31 March 2014.
Source: New Offence of Ill-Treatment or Wilful Neglect: Consultation document, Department of Health
Links: Consultation document | DH press release | Guardian report
Date: 2014-Feb
The Welsh Government began consultation on proposals contained in their White Paper on the prevention of offending by young people. The proposals for an Assembly bill would focus support on young people who were at the greatest risk of reoffending and progressing further through the youth justice system. It included proposals for more effective resettlement at the end of a sentence, and the establishment of Regional Reintegration and Resettlement Partnerships. The new Partnerships would oversee the links and collaborations between relevant statutory and service provider organizations, to ensure that the needs of young people were identified and met, with resettlement and reintegration plans in place at the end of their sentence. The needs of first time entrants into the youth justice system would be addressed and supported by the new joint Welsh Government/Youth Justice Board Strategy, due to be published in April 2014. The consultation would close on 30 April 2014.
Source: Prevention of Offending by Young People, Welsh Government
Links: White Paper | Related documents
Date: 2014-Feb
