Closed petition: Review the use of closed courts for victims of domestic/sexual violence

Closed on 25 January 2026

In cases when a survivor has experienced humiliating physical abuse at the hands of a partner, in particular domestic and sexual abuse, we feel the last thing they want is to have this presented publicly, in a court where the perpetrator's friends may come and watch, or their family may hear details

The application process for a closed court is lengthy and we believe the outcome of a closed court is very rare. We think that may lead to some survivors dropping the charges and withdrawing their statements.

We think reviewing how to make closed courts more accessible to vulnerable survivors would also increase the amount of perpetrators who end up being taken to court and convicted.