Ministers weigh mandatory safeguards after Walliams and Brand cases

By Grace Kim

Russell Brand was jailed for more than 10 years on Monday for rape and sexual assault, as ministers considered changing the law to protect women and children in the entertainment industry. Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, is expected to meet industry leaders next week about possible legal safeguards.

Representatives may come from television, film and publishing, with sport also potentially included. The attendee list and any requests for stronger protections remain unsettled.

The government’s stated preference is voluntary action: participating industries should strengthen protections against abuse and harassment and encourage whistleblowing. One government official said Nandy wants each sector to show that it will resolve the problem itself, but the government is prepared to intervene if it does not.

The Guardian and ITV News published an investigation that prompted widespread calls for action. It alleged that David Walliams, one of Britain’s best-known television personalities and a top-selling children’s author, used his power and status to prey on young women for sex. Walliams, 55, denies wrongdoing, and publication followed a court’s rejection of his attempt to block it.

Justice Secretary Alex Norris said on Wednesday that ministers shared substantial concern about powerful men using the legal system to silence accusers. He cited injunctions, or court orders restricting publication, and non-disclosure agreements, which prohibit recipients from disclosing information.

After prime minister’s questions, Andy Burnham’s official spokesperson called the allegations deeply troubling and said: “Men in positions of power, using their influence to exploit vulnerable young women and girls, is evident in this case, and it’s a pattern of behaviour that needs to change.” The spokesperson said every organisation should examine whether it is keeping people safe and allowing concerns to be taken seriously.

What would mandatory protection change?

The most concrete legislative option would require companies to sign up to the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority. It addresses bullying and harassment through confidential whistleblowing, or a protected route for reporting misconduct. For workers, compulsory registration would prevent employers from staying outside the authority’s reporting framework; for ministers, it provides a legal fallback if voluntary commitments fail.

Louise Casey, who leads the inquiry into sexual abuse grooming gangs, said on BBC radio on Wednesday morning that Brand’s case showed the “frankly appalling” way some men abuse power to attack women and girls. In a separate Sky News interview, Lady Casey said many people would be surprised to learn that men who had sex with girls aged 13, 14 or 15 were not automatically charged with rape. She said the law should change, arguing that this would show the country was protecting children and required faster action.

Later on Wednesday, Norris told the House of Lords justice and home affairs committee that high-profile use of the courts to silence accusers has long prompted discussion in Parliament. He said recent cases had brought the issue into relief and wanted the legal regime, meaning the rules governing injunctions and related tools, to be robust and fair. He also wanted to ensure those mechanisms were not used inappropriately.

Jess Phillips, who until May was the Home Office minister responsible for combating violence against women and girls, told BBC radio that the Walliams case was an outlier because its injunction was overturned. She said injunctions and non-disclosure agreements have silenced many people in Britain and that this was not new.

The next test is whether Nandy’s meeting produces named commitments on safeguards, whistleblowing and independent standards. Ministers have not settled the requests or a legislative timetable; their position remains conditional, with voluntary action first and legal intervention if the industries fail to deliver.