A number of Courts in Hertfordshire have been newly accredited as Specialist Domestic Violence Courts due to their superior facilities and support for victims of domestic violence.

Courts serving North and East Hertfordshire and surrounding areas, have met all the requirements of the 12 criteria of the National Resource Manual for Specialist Domestic Violence Courts.

The criteria included having specially trained independent advisers on hand to offer wider support to victims on how to rebuild their lives, and trained and dedicated criminal justice staff with enhanced expertise in dealing with domestic violence.

The new courts bring the number of accredited Specialist Domestic Violence Courts in England and Wales to 127 , just one away from the Government’s target of 128 Courts by 2011.

Justice Minister Bridget Prentice said: “Specialist Domestic Violence Courts allow trained staff from across the justice system and support organisations to use the facts of each case not just to deal firmly with offenders, but also to help families to find long-term solutions to violence and to rebuild their lives.

“I fully support the determination of the staff at specialist courts, along with the criminal justice and domestic violence support agencies working closely with them, to provide the best service possible to victims and families.

“Their determination has led to us being only one court away from our target of 128 Specialist Domestic Violence Courts, a year ahead of schedule, which is a magnificent achievement.”

Home Office Minister, Alan Campbell said: “Domestic violence is unacceptable.

"Specialist Domestic Violence Courts provide invaluable support to victims and have been shown to help ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice so I am pleased that the number receiving accreditation continues to increase.

“Last month criminal courts were given greater freedom to grant new restraining orders, providing immediate protection to victims and sparing them the need for separate civil action.

“We recognise the need to do more to prevent these crimes from happening in the first place and by the end of the year will publish our Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy setting out how we can challenge the attitudes which condone them.”

The Attorney General, Baroness Scotland QC, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service continues to improve its performance on prosecutions in domestic violence cases.

“This combined approach to tackling domestic violence by the police, crown prosecutors, magistrates, courts and probation, together with specialist support services for victims, situates the court and the Criminal Justice System as part of a community-wide response to domestic violence.”

The accreditation of five new Specialist Domestic Violence Courts coincides with Inside Justice Week, in which the criminal justice system of England and Wales opens its doors for a look behind the scenes, including open days and mock trials at selected police stations and courts.

For more information on what is on offer, visit http://insidejustice.cjsonline.gov.uk/

For the Government’s Domestic Violence website, including links to support services for anyone concerned about domestic violence, visit http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/dv/dv01.htm