Posts Tagged ‘commisioner for victims’
New Victims’ Commissioner appointed
In June 2019, Dame Vera Baird replaced Baroness Newlove as the Victim’s Commissioner. Her appointment is for 3 years.
See https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dame-vera-baird-appointed-as-new-victims-commissioner
The Victims Strategy – 2018
In September 2018, the Government published its cross-government Victims Strategy. It sets out a criminal justice system wide response to improving the support offered to victims of crime and incorporates actions from all criminal justice agencies, including the police, CPS and courts.
It is divided into 5 key sections
- overarching commitments. These include:
- Strengthening the Victims’ Code, and consulting on the detail of victim focused legislation, including strengthening the powers of the Victims’ Commissioner, and delivering a Victims’ Law.
- Holding agencies to account for compliance with the Victims’ Code through improved reporting, monitoring and transparency.
- Developing the detail on the role of the Independent Public Advocate for bereaved families who have lost loved ones in extraordinary and tragic events.
- Abolishing the rule which denied compensation for some victims who lived with their attacker prior to 1979 and consulting on further changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
- improving support for all victims of crime, whether or not they report the crime. This includes commitments to:
- Increase spending from £31 million in 2018 to £39 million in 2020/21 to improve services and pathways for survivors and victims of sexual violence and abuse who seek support to and from Sexual Assault Referral Centres.
- Develop a new delivery model for victim support services, coordinating funding across government.
- Expand and extend support available to families bereaved by homicide, including bringing in new funding for advocacy support for families bereaved by domestic homicide.
- Spend £8 million on interventions to ensure support is available to children who witness domestic abuse.
- Pilot the ‘Child House’ model in London, whereby multiple services are brought together in a child-friendly environment to minimise additional trauma.
- improving victim support after a crime has been reported. This includes commitments to:
- Introduce improved police training, including new guidance on conducting interviews and collecting evidence, and a trial of body worn cameras to take Victim Personal Statements.
- Increase the number of Registered Intermediaries, communication experts helping vulnerable victims and witnesses give their best evidence at police interview and at court, by 25%.
- Increase opportunities for victims to engage in alternative solutions to court.
- Improve overall victim communication, including when explaining decisions not to prosecute and on the right to review Crown Prosecution Service decisions.
- better support for victims during the court process. This includes commitments to:
- Improve the court environment, with new victim-friendly waiting areas and a new court design guide focussing on accessibility for the most vulnerable.
- Free up court time in the magistrates’ court by dealing with crimes with no identifiable victim (e.g. fare evasion) outside court hearings.
- Continue to use video links to allow vulnerable victims to provide evidence away from the defendant and courtroom altogether.
- Encourage take up of pre-trial therapy by launching new guidance and a toolkit for prosecutors and therapists.
- making sure victims understand a court’s decision, the implications for them, and for the offender. This includes commitments to:
- Review and consider extending the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme so victims and the public can have sentences reconsidered by the Court of Appeal.
- Reform the Victim Contact Scheme, making it easier to opt in, introducing more frequent communication, and greater use of digital contact methods.
- Improve Victim Liaison Officer training, especially in supporting victims during parole hearings and in making a Victim Personal Statement.
- Review and consider whether any improvements need to be made to entitlements for victims of mentally disordered offenders.
This is substantial agenda of what seem to me to be good ideas. Some of them can be implemented quickly. Others will take more time. What is therefore also needed is a committment to publish progress reports which show how these initiatives are developing throughout the country.
Source: Adapted from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/victims-strategy/victims-strategy-html-version where the full text of the strategy statement can be found.
Victims in the criminal justice system: getting the balance right
Successive governments have attempted to improve the position of the victims of crime in the criminal justice system. But there is clear evidence that there is still room for further improvement.
In January 2015, the Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, published a report which showed the gap between what was supposed to happen to victims, and what actually happened. The principal recommendation of her report was the adoption of a set of principles, drawn up by her, to which all actors in the criminal justice system should adhere.
The Commissioner stated that all victims should have:
- Clear information from agencies and service providers on how they will support them in raising a concern or making a complaint about the service they have received
- Information on how informal concerns can be submitted and dealt with, in additional to processes for the submitting of formal complaints
- Details on how agencies and service providers will keep victims informed of the progress of their complaint at all stages
- The option to state their preferred method of communication with an agency or service provider when raising a concern or making a complaint
- Clear information to understand what to do if not happy with the response that has been received, including details about the role of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and the right to complain to them
- Information on how they might be able to be involved in developing, reviewing and improving an agency’s or service provider’s complaints process.
In addition, she stated that agencies and service providers should ensure they offer to all victims:
- A clear statement about the support they will provide to victims who wish to raise a concern or make a complaint about the service that has been provided
- Processes to deal with concerns swiftly and informally where appropriate, in addition to processes to deal with more formal complaints
- A commitment that they will deliver mandatory training and development plans for all staff who deal with victims’ complaints
- A commitment to ensure that all staff who interact with victims, have in place a performance objective reflecting how they will be held accountable for treating victims with empathy, dignity and respect
- Properly defined processes and recording practices which enable victims complaints to be handled proactively and appropriately
- A published statement on whether they will apply the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s Principles of Good Complaint Handling in their complaints processes
In addition, agencies should publish information illustrating how complaints from victims have led to improvements in services.
The Government announced in February 2015 that it accepted these proposals and would work to bring them into practical effect.
The Commissioner’s report is at http://victimscommissioner.org.uk/baroness-newlove-victims-still-let-down-by-justice-agencies/
The Government’s response is at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/response-to-the-victims-commissioners-review-of-complaints-and-resolution-for-victims-of-crime
In January 2015, the Government has announced that an online service TrackMyCrime, which has been developed by Avon and Somerset police, will start to be rolled out nationally. This is designed to keep victims updated on the progress of their case, allow them to submit details about stolen or damaged property, and find information on support and advice. Crucially, officers and victims can securely exchange messages with one another at any time and police can regularly update victims on the progress of the case. This offers more flexibility for victims and will be more efficient for police officers working shifts.
See https://www.gov.uk/government/news/online-tracking-service-launched-for-victims-of-crime
And in yet a further development, the Government has announced further support for victims and witnesses in court, through a doubling of the number of Registered Intermediaries – people able to support victims and witnesses as they give evidence in court.
See https://www.gov.uk/government/news/courtroom-communications-experts-to-double
Martin Partington: Introduction to the English Legal System 15th ed 2021
Oxford University Press Learning Link Resources
Martin Partington: Spotlight on the Justice System 