To ask the Minister of Justice to detail any training and guidance currently provided to (i) judges; and (ii) legal practitioners on the appropriate weight to be given to good character references in cases of sexual violence and abuse.

My Department is not responsible for the training and guidance provided to judges or legal practitioners.

The Judicial Studies Board (JSB), chaired by a Lord Justice of Appeal, is responsible for judicial training in Northern Ireland. The aim of the JSB is to ensure as far as possible that judicial office holders are equipped with the skills and knowledge which they require to discharge their duties effectively.