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Committee publication · Correspondence · 16 June 2026

Correspondence from Jake Richards MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Sentencing, dated 9 June 2026: Memorandum of Understanding between the United Kingdom and Latvia on Justice Cooperation

From: Justice Committee

Summary

Jake Richards MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice, informs the Justice Committee that the UK and Latvia signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding on 8 June 2026 to strengthen justice cooperation. The MoU establishes a 'green corridor' for faster prisoner transfers, enhances victim and witness support, reaffirms civil judicial cooperation on domestic abuse protections, and commits both nations to coordinated Ukraine support.

Key findings

  • UK and Latvia signed non-binding MoU on 8 June 2026 to strengthen cross-border justice cooperation and tackle cross-border criminality
  • MoU establishes a 'green corridor' for prisoner transfers with clear timelines to improve speed and efficiency of transfer processes
  • Agreement provides for closer cooperation in supporting victims, families, and witnesses across both jurisdictions
  • MoU reaffirms commitment to effective civil judicial cooperation, including strengthened global protections for domestic abuse victims
  • Agreement underscores continued UK-Latvia cooperation on Mutual Legal Assistance matters and coordinated support for Ukraine

Tone

Procedural

Topics

international-justice-cooperationprisoner-transferscross-border-crimevictims-supportdomestic-abuse

Key actors

Jake Richards MP, Andy Slaughter MP, Minister Jarvis, Ministry of Justice (UK), Home Office (UK), Ministry of Justice (Latvia)

Notable line

“The MoU commits both parties to establish a "green corridor" for prisoner transfers by introducing clear timelines at each stage of the process …”

Key Quotes

“While the MoU is not legally binding, it represents a shared commitment to strengthening justice cooperation between the United Kingdom and Latvia.”
— Jake Richards MP · Describing the nature and intent of the Memorandum of Understanding
“The MoU commits both parties to establish a "green corridor" for prisoner transfers by introducing clear timelines at each stage of the process, thereby improving the speed and efficiency of transfers.”
— Jake Richards MP · Setting out the prisoner transfer arrangements
“Strengthening bilateral prisoner transfer arrangements with European partners remains a key government priority.”
— Jake Richards MP · Contextualising the government's approach to European justice cooperation
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Source · parliament.uk record ↗