Marie Goldman has asked the Justice Secretary for a specialist domestic abuse court in Chelmsford, saying abuse cases are over 20% of the local court backlog.
Chelmsford’s MP has asked the Government to set up a specialist domestic abuse court in the city.
Marie Goldman wrote to the Justice Secretary, Alex Norris, on 8 October. She published the letter on her Instagram account on 19 October.
Her letter says domestic abuse cases “currently account for more than 20 per cent of the backlog in Chelmsford Magistrates’ and Crown Courts”. She argues a specialist court would tackle that caseload and “improve the experience and outcomes of victim-survivors as they navigate the criminal justice system”.
What she is asking for
A Specialist Domestic Abuse Court (SDAC) is a court set up to hear domestic abuse cases. Ms Goldman’s letter describes the model as “survivor-centred and trauma-informed, with a strong focus on victim-survivor safety and perpetrator accountability”.
She asks the Justice Secretary to say:
- what plans the Government has for more specialist domestic abuse courts in England and Wales, and on what timetable
- whether Chelmsford would be considered as a location, and what the process would be
- whether he will meet her and local representatives to discuss it
She says she will share the response when she receives it. No reply had been published by 26 October.
Who she has spoken to
The letter says she met Essex Police, the East of England Crown Prosecution Service and members of Chelmsford’s legal community. According to the letter, there was “a clear consensus” that a specialist court, “if properly resourced and implemented”, could improve how domestic abuse cases are handled in Chelmsford.
Her case also rests on evidence from two charities, Advance and Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse. They told her, from their work with the Westminster specialist court in London, that such courts can improve outcomes, increase victims’ engagement and reduce the number of cases that fall away.
Advance’s chief executive, Niki Scordi, has said on the charity’s website that specialist domestic abuse courts “are the most effective way for these cases to be processed”, but are “only available in a few areas of the country”.
What the Essex figures show
The MP’s argument is about victims dropping out before a case reaches court. Official figures for Essex show how often that happens.
Essex Police recorded 24,286 domestic abuse-related crimes in the year to March 2025, according to the ONS domestic abuse data tool published in November 2025. That is 12.6 for every 1,000 people, slightly below the England and Wales rate of 13.2.
Of the crimes Essex Police recorded that year:
- 61.6% were closed because a suspect was identified but the victim did not support further action, against 56.1% across England and Wales
- 16.8% hit evidential difficulties even though the victim did support action
- 8.2% led to a charge or summons, against 7.3% nationally
Cases that do reach court have become less likely to end in a conviction. In 2024-25 there were 1,614 domestic abuse-related prosecutions in the Essex area and 1,162 convictions, a rate of 72.0%. That compares with 74.7% across England and Wales, and with 78.6% in Essex in 2020-21.
These figures cover the whole Essex Police area. The ONS does not publish them for Chelmsford alone.
What it means for you
Nothing changes in Chelmsford’s courts yet. This is a request to the Government, and the Ministry of Justice has not published a decision.
If you or someone you know is affected by domestic abuse, help is available now:
- Compass, the Essex domestic abuse helpline: 0330 333 7444, or essexcompass.org.uk
- National Domestic Abuse Helpline, free and open 24 hours: 0808 2000 247, or nationaldahelpline.org.uk
- In an emergency, call 999
Ms Goldman has also raised local health services in Parliament this month: read our report on her Broomfield Hospital trust debate.
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