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We inherited a criminal justice system in crisis, with challenges in prisons and criminal courts at risk of collapse. That is why as an early priority, we launched two wide-ranging reviews—one led by David Gauke, the other led by Sir Brian Leveson—to tackle that crisis holistically. This is a system-wide challenge and requires urgent action from across the whole criminal justice system.

Answered by
Sarah Sackman (Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
15 September 2026
Reference
790 c1559
House
House of Commons

Just a fortnight ago, the Justice Secretary said that

“we have to build a new criminal justice system.”

—[Official Report, 1 September 2026; Vol. 790, c. 86.]

After the damage done by a decade and a half of austerity, I wholeheartedly agree. Nobody knows how far our justice system has fallen better than the hard-working frontline workers who are desperately trying to hold it all together, and who have watched and warned about this dangerous situation coming down the track for years. Will the Department listen to the leaders of the six national justice trade unions, who are calling for a royal commission on prisons and the wider criminal justice system?

Asked by
Brian Leishman (Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Oral questions - 1st Supplementary
Status
Answered
Date
15 September 2026
Reference
790 c1559
House
House of Commons

My hon. Friend is absolutely right that whether they are powering our prisons, our Probation Service or our Courts Service, our workforce are the backbone of delivering for citizens in this country. My colleagues and I routinely engage with our trade unions, who are vital stakeholders in this matter, but we are not waiting for a royal commission. The state of our justice system requires action now, which is why the Government are making record investment in sitting days in courts, in building new prisons, and in the workforce itself.

Answered by
Sarah Sackman (Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
15 September 2026
Reference
790 c1559
House
House of Commons

I speak as the chair of the new justice unions all-party parliamentary group, which hears from six trade unions representing workers across prisons, probation, policing and the courts. Our first action last week was to write to the Prime Minister and the Justice Secretary to highlight a joint statement by six justice trade unions calling for a royal commission. Workers on the frontline see that the current piecemeal approach of narrow, stand-alone reviews can at best only tackle individual symptoms, while the disease and its causes remain untreated. Surely the Minister agrees that end-to-end reform is now essential, and that a royal commission is key to enabling this.

Asked by
Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Oral questions - Supplementary
Status
Answered
Date
15 September 2026
Reference
790 c1560
House
House of Commons

As the right hon. Member has just heard me say, what we need is action and investment in our workforce now. That is about fair pay; it is also about ensuring that our workforce, whether in prisons or in courts, have the tools to do the job that they were trained to do and want to do properly. That is why we are empowering them with digital tools, and it is why we provided the sitting days to hear the cases that need to be processed through our courts. We do not need a royal commission to tell us what is needed—what we need is action right now.

Answered by
Sarah Sackman (Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
15 September 2026
Reference
790 c1560
House
House of Commons

What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a Royal Commission on the criminal justice system.

Asked by
Brian Leishman (Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Date
15 September 2026
Reference
901360; 790 cc1559-1560
House
House of Commons

A briefing paper on the office and functions of the Prime Minister

Type
Commons Briefing papers
Date
21 July 2026
Reference
CBP-9880

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has assessed the potential merits of establishing a Royal Commission on Youth on the challenges facing future generations.

Asked by
Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Date
20 April 2026
Reference
126122
House
House of Commons

Government can establish different types of review or investigation, including public inquiries, Committees of Privy Counsellors and Royal Commissions.

Type
Commons Briefing papers
Date
4 November 2025
Reference
SN02599

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a royal commission on social care.

Asked by
Luke Evans (Conservative)
Answering body
Department of Health and Social Care
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Date
10 September 2024
Reference
3812
House
House of Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to establish a royal commission on social care.

Asked by
Rachael Maskell (Labour)
Answering body
Department of Health and Social Care
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Date
14 August 2024
Reference
1302
House
House of Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress his Department has made on establishing a Royal Commission on the criminal justice process.

Asked by
Dan Carden (Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Date
25 March 2024
Reference
19696
House
House of Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the report entitled Relationship of Equals, published by the Housing Ombudsman on 23 January 2024, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a Royal Commission to create a long-term plan for...

Asked by
Tahir Ali (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Date
12 February 2024
Reference
13327
House
House of Commons

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to establish a Royal Commission into the future of maternity services.

Asked by
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour)
Answering body
Department of Health and Social Care
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Date
18 December 2023
Reference
HL824
House
House of Lords

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to convene a Royal Commission on criminal justice before the next general election.

Asked by
Mary Kelly Foy (Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Date
20 December 2022
Reference
111719
House
House of Commons

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Bellamy on 28 November (HL Deb col 1561), what plans they have to announce (1) the timeframe, and (2) the terms of reference, for the Royal Commission on the criminal justice process, as announced in the Queen's Speech on 19...

Asked by
Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops (affiliation))
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Date
13 December 2022
Reference
HL3841
House
House of Lords

If he will establish a Royal Commission on prisons and the wider criminal justice system.

Asked by
Grahame Morris (Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Date
22 November 2022
Reference
902361; 723 c147
House
House of Commons

The hon. Gentleman will know of our commitment. Following the pandemic, it is also right that we prioritise recovery in the criminal justice system.

Answered by
Damian Hinds (Conservative)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
22 November 2022
Reference
723 c147
House
House of Commons

Notwithstanding that answer, which I thank the Minister for, a little earlier the Justice Secretary referred to manifesto commitments, and I remind the House that the Conservatives made a manifesto commitment to establishing a royal commission on criminal justice, but that is looking like a pretty slim commitment. Prisons in particular are at the heart of our criminal justice system, and they are in crisis, plagued by violence, drugs, squalor and a shameful lack of meaningful rehabilitation activity. Does the Minister accept that the priority must be a full public inquiry with statutory powers to find out what has gone wrong?

Asked by
Grahame Morris (Labour)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Oral questions - 1st Supplementary
Status
Answered
Date
22 November 2022
Reference
723 c147
House
House of Commons

The hon. Gentleman is of course right about the commitment, and I referred to it in my opening response. It is true that the coronavirus changed many things, including causing significant issues in the criminal justice system and in prisons. We have published the prisons White Paper, which sets out a strategy for further improvement in all aspects of the secure estate, and I am pleased to be able to report significant progress on matters such as employment, which we know is important to reducing reoffending, and accommodation, with a five percentage points reduction in the number of individuals leaving prison who are homeless or rough sleeping.

Answered by
Damian Hinds (Conservative)
Answering body
Ministry of Justice
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
22 November 2022
Reference
723 c147
House
House of Commons