How the justice system fails abused women — Friday 15 May 2026Labour MP Naz Shah has spoken candidly about the failures of the British justice system in protecting women who endure years of domestic abuse. In a new episode of the BBC podcast Ways to Change the World, the Bradford West politician tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy how her mother received a life sentence for killing the man who had subjected her to prolonged violence. Shah campaigned successfully for her mother’s eventual release, drawing on the case to highlight how courts often overlook the cumulative trauma faced by victims. Her memoir Honoured charts a childhood marked by forced marriage, poverty and repeated abuse within the family. Shah explains that these experiences propelled her into politics, where she has pressed for better recognition of coercive control and the long-term effects of domestic violence on survivors. The discussion comes as ministers review sentencing guidelines following several high-profile cases in which women who killed their abusers struggled to secure reduced terms on appeal. Campaigners argue that Britain’s legal framework still places too great a burden on victims to prove imminent danger rather than sustained psychological harm. Shah’s account underscores the need for wider training of judges and prosecutors, alongside improved support services outside London and other major cities. The interview offers a personal lens on reforms that many believe are long overdue if the system is to treat abused women with greater fairness.Watch the full video from Channel 4 News below.