The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman OBE, has welcomed the government’s landmark decision to repeal the presumption of parental involvement from the Children Act 1989.
The move, included in the new Courts and Tribunals Bill set for its second reading in the House of Commons tomorrow (Tuesday), follows a decade-long campaign by Claire Throssell MBE, whose two sons – Jack, 12, and Paul, 9 – were both killed by their father despite her warnings he was a danger to them. She has since campaigned to prevent unsafe child contact with dangerous perpetrators of domestic abuse.
The repeal marks a decisive shift away from a pro-contact culture in family courts that has historically placed children at risk of harm from abusive parents, Waxman said.
“I pay tribute to Claire for her extraordinary bravery and determination in the face of unimaginable grief and pain,” Waxman continued.
“In memory of her two boys, Jack and Paul, she has campaigned tirelessly to ensure that no other children are ever failed in this way again. Her success in removing this dangerous presumption from family law is a vital step in dismantling the dangerous ‘pro-contact’ culture that is so deep-rooted in our courts.
“This is a hard-won victory for Claire, but more importantly, it is a lasting legacy for Jack and Paul – ensuring a new era of protection and justice for every woman and child seeking safety from abuse.”
As the bill moves to its second reading in the House of Commons, Waxman says she is firm in her belief that the reforms outlined in the legislation is the only way to fix a ‘broken’ system and deliver the timely, fair justice that victims deserve.
In a statement late last month, the commissioner warned that “investment and efficiency measures alone will not fix the systemic issues in our courts,” stressing that structural reform – including adjusting the threshold of when a case warrants a jury’s involvement – is required to end the “intolerable” delays facing victims in the Crown Court.
“Unlimited sitting days and significant investment in the court estate are essential steps toward increasing capacity and modernising the system. We now need to ensure the entire court estate is operating at full strength,” Waxman said.
Waxman was appointed as Victims’ Commissioner in September 2025, formally taking up the post in January this year. She has successfully lobbied for legislative change through the Domestic Abuse Act, Policing Act, and the Victims and Prisoners Act. Notably, she demonstrated the importance of speaking directly with families, successfully campaigning for criminals to be compelled to attend sentencing hearings – a measure included in the Victims and Courts Bill in 2025.
She was appointed OBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours for services to victims of crime.
Waxman succeeds the late Baroness Newlove, who died in November 2025.
