Victims and Courts Bill

In February 2026, JUSTICE briefed Parliament on two amendments to the Victims and Courts Bill: Amendments 61 and 62.

Amendment 61 concerns the reliability of computer evidence in criminal proceedings. The amendment proposes admissibility requirements for computer evidence, to safeguard against miscarriages of justice based on unreliable computer evidence, like the Post Office Horizon scandal. This amendment is all the more important looking to the future of AI and deepfakes making their way into our criminal justice system.

Amendment 62 would set clear, proportionate limits on when creative expression can be used as evidence in criminal proceedings, ensuring it is admitted only when relevant, reliable, and not unduly prejudicial. This amendment responds to significant cross-sector concern about the misuse of music as evidence - a practice that has been shown to generate wrongful convictions, entrench racial disproportionality in the justice system, and undermine creative freedom of expression.

The Hansard debate on both amendments can be found here.

JUSTICE's briefings can be found here: Amendment 61 and Amendment 62.

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