Peers to examine Commons amendments as the bill progresses through the final stages
The Victims and Courts Bill will return to the House of Lords on 15 April 2026 for further consideration of amendments made by the House of Commons.
The session forms part of the parliamentary process known as “ping pong”, where both Houses consider and respond to each other’s proposed changes until agreement is reached on the final version of a bill.
The legislation introduces a range of proposed reforms to the criminal justice system. Among its provisions are measures to require offenders to attend their sentencing hearings and to restrict parental responsibility in certain cases involving sex offenders.
The bill also includes proposals to strengthen the role of the Victims’ Commissioner, expand eligibility criteria for Crown Prosecutor appointments, and extend the time limits available to the Attorney General’s Office to review cases under the unduly lenient sentences scheme.
The House of Lords previously considered the bill between 28 October 2025 and 17 March 2026, completing stages including committee scrutiny, report stage, and third reading. Following this, the legislation returned to the House of Commons, where MPs introduced amendments to provisions debated by peers.
During the upcoming session, members of the Lords will review those amendments and decide whether to accept them, reject them or propose further changes.
Key issues expected to be examined include proposals for free court transcripts for victims, the application of the victims’ code to homicide cases occurring abroad, and the publication of sentencing remarks. The scope and operation of the unduly lenient sentences scheme will also be considered.
The bill has progressed through the standard legislative stages in the Lords, including second reading in December 2025, committee stage in February 2026, and report and third reading stages in March. These stages provided opportunities for detailed scrutiny and amendment.
Parliamentary proceedings can be followed through official channels, including live broadcasts and published transcripts.
The outcome of the next stage will determine whether the bill moves closer to final approval or continues through further rounds of consideration between the two Houses.