Labor MPs has claimed for the thousands of victims of domestic violence will be left to suffer in silence as a result of government cuts to legal aid. So now the MPs have given the green light to plans to strengthen the legal rights of the householders who use force to defend their home.

Justice Minister Crispin Blunt said the government wanted to clarify the existing law around self-defence so homeowners and shopkeepers could protect themselves, their property or others. Mr. Blunt told MPs that It is essential the law in this area is clear so people who use reasonable force and can be confident the law is on their side.

Under the legal aid and sentencing bill, only the domestic violence victims who can prove high risk violence will qualify for assistance. In practice, that is likely to require them to have reported the abuse to police. But the reality is that most women experiences 20 episodes of domestic violence before they report it to the police. And in a result more women are suffering from domestic violence in silence. Mr. Djanogly insisted the government took the question of domestic violence extremely seriously. He said: What I am saying though is that we need to have objective evidence of domestic violence to target taxpayers’ money on genuine cases where the victim needs assistance because of being intimidated or otherwise disadvantaged by the fact of facing the abuser in proceedings.

The Ministry of Justice says legal aid will continue to be available in cases where someone is at risk of serious violence, losing their liberty or their home, or where children may be taken into care.

Legal Aid and Sentencing Bill

Report by Dushyant Tiwari