Your article headed “Why is domestic violence not taken seriously in court?” (9 March) quoted Vera Baird QC who believes that judges and magistrates need training in dealing with domestic violence sentencing and understanding the needs for these offences.
About five years ago the courts set up courses for magistrates to deal with domestic violence issues in tandem with dedicated domestic violence courts, which only allowed magistrates who had completed part one and part two of the domestic violence training to sit on these cases.
When the restructuring of the magistracy took place and many courts closed as the government decreased the service, domestic violence-dedicated courts were discontinued.
The reason for judicial inadequacies with regard to domestic violence cases in my opinion is the cuts in the magistracy and the restructuring of the justice areas which allowed this important initiative to fall into disrepute.
Glyn Greenslade JP
Surbiton, Surrey
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