Fact check: Southport attack has been repeatedly discussed in Parliament
A claim has circulated that MPs were banned from discussing the case of Axel Rudakubana.
A widely shared online post claimed that it was illegal to speak about the details of Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana’s case in Parliament.
“The true horrific story of the murderous black boy on the right, was forbidden, by law, to be discussed in Parliament,” the post said.
Evaluation
The Southport attack has been discussed many times in Parliament, and Rudakubana’s name has been mentioned in at least 10 different debates or written statements in Parliament.
The facts
The social media post included a photograph of Axel Rudakubana that was used in media reporting of the case, identifying him as the subject of the post.
Rudakubana was jailed for life with a minimum term of 52 years in January for the murder of three girls in Southport on July 29 2024, and the attempted murder of 10 other people.
Because Rudakubana was 17 when he committed his crimes, his identity could not be disclosed outside of court until Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Andrew Menary KC ruled on August 1 that he could be named ahead of his 18th birthday on August 7.
Contempt of court laws make it illegal for anyone to risk unfairly influencing a trial, which includes publicly commenting on a court case. However, the principle of parliamentary privilege means this does not apply to what MPs and Lords say when speaking within the Palace of Westminster chambers.
The case has been discussed on several occasions in Parliament. The first mention was on July 30, the day after the attack, when Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner sent her condolences to the victims.
Later that day, an entire debate in the House of Commons was dedicated to the Southport attack.
During that debate, Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle warned MPs they should “exercise care in what they say about a major live criminal investigation” and “take care not to say anything in this House that might prejudice a criminal trial”.
He added: “I urge Members to avoid speculating about the guilt or innocence of any person, the identity of the person who has been arrested, or the motive for the attacks.”
The first time that Rudakubana was named in Parliament was on January 21 2025, the day after he pleaded guilty in court.
Sir Lindsay said then he appreciated “it has been most frustrating for the House that we have not been able to discuss the issues relating to this case because of ongoing prosecutions”.
He then granted a waiver so MPs could discuss the subject freely before Rudakubana was sentenced two days later.
Since then, according to a search on the They Work For You website, Rudakubana’s name has been mentioned in another eight debates, statements and other events in Parliament.
