Member News
By Tony Grew - 12th November 2010
The ministry of justice has been accused of "slipping out" a statement dropping plans to introduce anonymity for people accused of rape.
Thomas Docherty (Lab, Dunfermline and West Fife), on a point of order, asked if ministers had sought to make an oral statement about the policy U-turn.
He said the House should have a chance to question the justice minister about why he has "abandoned his plans".
Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans said no minister has approached the Speaker about an oral statement.
"It is for the government to decide how to make the announcement," he told Docherty.
Glenda Jackson (Lab, Hampstead and Kilburn) complained that this is not just an MoJ matter.
"The home office has been involved in this dispute," she told the House.
She said the government announced the policy, then dropped it, then adopted it again.
This had led to the "genuine fear and concern expressed to me in my constituency".
She said both the home secretary and the justice minister should appear in the House to answer questions.
Evans said he had "not much to add" and suggested other ways she can raise the issue.
The policy was included in the coalition agreement, but has faced vocal opposition from female MPs on all sides.
In a Commons debate in July, Crispin Blunt said the government was "minded" to introduce anonymity "up to the point of charge" for defendants in rape cases.
The justice minister denied that the number of false allegations made against men was behind the government's reasoning for change, dismissing suggestions that it would deter victims from coming forward.
He told MPs: "There is an argument that reducing publicity around rape investigations and trial should make it easier for complainants.
"This would be an effect of protecting a defendant's identity."
However, shadow justice minister Maria Eagle warned that ministers were in "danger of sending a clear signal to victims: you will not be believed".
Eagle told MPs everyone recognised how hard it was to convict offenders of rape.
She said: "I think anything that makes it harder for people to come forward, that makes it more likely that they weren't believed when they do come forward, and that deters them coming forward, can only be bad in terms of the impact it would have on conviction rates."
Eagle asked why rape had been "singled out" for defendant anonymity.
"I believe that there are many crimes of which one can be accused which can have an extremely deleterious effect on one's reputation, on one's life, on one's family - very many crimes apart from just rape," she said.
"This is one of them, indeed. So is murder. So is downloading child pornography. So is stealing when one has a position of trust."
Eagle described the proposal as "prejudice-based policymaking".
Blunt promised a further announcement in the autumn to investigate areas that "still require further thought", including whether anonymity might "frustrate" police investigations into rape.
He added there would be talks with both the police and media before a final decision is made.
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