Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Julian Smith (Conservative) on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 18 December 2025. It was answered by Jess Phillips (Labour) on Monday, 22 December 2025 on behalf of the Home Office.

Stalking: Criminal Proceedings

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the six-month limit for bringing charges on stalking.

Answer

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this Government and the VAWG Strategy published on 18 December sets out clear action to tackle stalking as a part of this.

We have appointed Richard Wright KC to lead a review of the stalking legislation. The review will consider whether the criminal law on stalking needs to change to ensure the police and wider criminal justice partners have the clearest possible framework for effective identification, management and prosecution of stalking cases. The scope of the review includes the stalking offences in the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and, due to their intertwined nature, the harassment offences in the same Act. As part of this, the review will also consider the classification of stalking offences as either-way or summary-only and this includes consideration of the statutory time limits involved. The review will recommend options for reform where appropriate.

The full review, including any recommendations, must be submitted to the Secretary of State by the end of March 2026.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
100346
Session
2024-26
Grouped for answer
Yes
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Criminal proceedings Stalking
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk