In our new research report, ‘Doing his job for him’: how the criminal justice system fails victims of coercive control who are accused of offending’, we present the accounts of seven victims of coercive control who were unfairly criminalised as a result of their own experience of abuse and recommend reforms in law, policy and practice.

The High Court today (2 July 2025) refused to accept the findings of two investigations into MI5 following an acknowledgment earlier this year that it had materially misled several courts in relation to its controversial informant known as ‘X’.

CWJ welcomes the decision taken by a majority of MPs voting in the House of Commons on 17 June 2025 to end the criminalisation of women for ‘illegal’ abortions in England and Wales.

On 14 June 2025, the Government announced a statutory inquiry into abuse and exploitation of children by grooming gangs across the United Kingdom – ahead of a damning report released on 16 June 2025.

CWJ welcomed the announcement by the Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby, and the Crown Prosecution Service to introduce a pilot which gives victims of rape and serious sexual violence an opportunity to challenge a decision to offer no evidence and end the case.

We welcome key recommendations on women in contact with the criminal justice system but raise concerns on early release of domestic abuse and sexual offence perpetrators.

We are now accepting nominations for the 2025 Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize and Centre for Women’s Justice Award.

The government has today (7 May 2025) introduced a new Victims and Courts Bill aiming to better protect victims and improve access to justice.

‘Sam’, a client of Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ), who supported the CWJ case in relation to the disclosure of historic convictions for street prostitution has won another court victory.

We welcome the government’s announcement today (23 April 2025) that they have created new powers enabling chief constables to sack officers if they fail vetting standards.

On 4 March 2025 at a renewal hearing at the Court of Appeal, Annabel Timan (Doughty Street Chambers) will argue that Amanda O’Shaughnessy’s 2015 murder conviction is unsafe due to new psychiatric evidence supporting the defence of loss of control.

Lawyers acting for the Attorney General were forced to answer questions in the High Court, after it was revealed that a deputy director of MI5 made a false statement in proceedings about an MI5 recruit who terrorised his girlfriend, ‘Beth’.

A new report released on 31 January 2025 by the National Audit Office reveals that despite this and the previous government’s initiatives, there has been no significant improvement in outcomes for victims of violence against women and girls.

On 13 January 2025 Ryan Wellings was found not guilty of manslaughter and guilty of assault and coercive and controlling behaviour between January 2020 and July 2022.

Centre for Women’s Justice welcomes the French Court’s verdict in the case of Gisèle Pelicot and applauds her courage and dignity.

Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) have joined Women in Prison and four other leading women’s sector organisations calling for an end to the unjust criminalisation of survivors of domestic abuse and better support criminalised survivors.  

The College of Policing has announced today (16 December 2024) the introduction of new vetting standards for potential and serving police officers and staff.  

The Home Office and Ministry of Justice have announced today (27 November 2024) the launch of new protective measures for victims of domestic abuse.

On 25 October 2024, the criminal appeal court rejected an appeal by 25 year old Lea Rose Cheng who was convicted of the murder of 39 year old Dylan Bacon.