Labour frontbench and PCC candidates write to Conservatives demanding they back Labour’s Victims’ Law

The Shadow Justice Secretary, David Lammy MP, the Shadow Minister for Victims and Youth Justice, Peter Kyle MP, and Labour PCC candidates have today written to their Conservative counterparts demanding that they back introducing Labour’s Victims’ Bill as the first piece of new legislation when the House returns.

Labour’s Victims’ Bill, introduced to Parliament as a Ten Minute Rule Bill by Peter Kyle MP on 9th February, set out provisions to put victims’ rights on a statutory footing, as well as new protections for victims of crime and persistent, unresolved anti-social behaviour. This built on Keir Starmer MP’s own Private Members’ Bill on a Victims’ Law in 2015.

In the past three manifestoes, the Conservative Party has pledged to introduce a bill that would give victims legally enforceable rights – but have failed to deliver.

At Prime Minister’s Questions on 17th March, after being asked by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister committed to studying any proposals to improve the experience of victims in the criminal justice system.

David Lammy MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, said:

“Victims of violent crime including rape, assault and domestic violence are losing all faith in the justice system as they face delays of up to four years to get their day in court.

“Labour is demanding that the Conservatives finally introduce policies which support victims rather than letting criminals off the hook.

“We are calling on the Government and Tory PCC candidates to do the right thing and back putting our Victims’ Bill into law.”

Peter Kyle MP, the Shadow Minister for Victims and Youth Justice, said:

“We are living through a victims crisis. Over a quarter of all crimes aren't being prosecuted because victims are dropping out of the process entirely. That means that 1 million victims every year are being failed by the very system designed to protect them.

“After a decade of broken Tory promises, Labour have introduced a Victims Law that's ready to go. It makes victims unignorable in a system that increasingly overlooks their needs. Now it's up to the Government to put politics aside and implement it without delay."

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Notes to editors:

Prime Minister

cc. Secretary of State for Justice
cc. Minister for Crime and Policing

Dear Prime Minister,

Victims of serious crimes are enduring the worst Crown Court backlog on record, which is leading to delays of up to 4 years before many get their day in court.

More than a quarter of all crimes aren't being prosecuted because victims are dropping out of the process entirely. That means that 1 million victims every year are being failed by the very system designed to protect them.

In this context, it is more vital than ever that victims get the legal rights and protections they deserve.

At Prime Minister’s Questions on 17th March, you committed to studying any proposals to improve the experience of victims in the criminal justice system. Labour welcomes that commitment, and it is in the spirit of consensus that we write to you today.

For too long victims’ trust in the justice system has been eroded by successive Conservative governments’ broken promises. In the past three manifestoes, the Conservative Party has pledged to introduce a bill that would give victims legally enforceable rights. Most recently, your 2019 manifesto stated:

“We will pass and implement a Victims’ Law that guarantees victims’ rights and the level of support they can expect.”

This commitment has been reiterated in departmental plans from the Ministry of Justice, the 2018 Victims Strategy, and several Queen’s Speeches (including the Queen’s Speech for the most recent parliamentary session). The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, even publicly called on the Conservatives to introduce a Victims’ Law in 2014.

But victims don’t need warm words or manifesto commitments, they need legislation. This is exactly what Labour has provided. Building on a Private Members’ Bill Keir Starmer authored in 2015, my frontbench colleague Peter Kyle has recently introduced an ambitious Victims’ Bill to the House of Commons. This achieves exactly what your rhetoric promises. It puts victims at the centre of the criminal justice system, rendering both them and their rights inalienable. It establishes clear procedures for victims to enforce their rights, and expands support to groups too often overlooked (including bereaved families, and the victims of persistent antisocial behaviour).

Labour’s introduction of a Victims’ Law has been welcomed by a range of senior stakeholders, including the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, the Victims’ Commissioner for London, and antisocial behaviour charities such as ASB Resolve. Many of the proposals echo those set out by the Victims’ Commissioner herself.

Legislating to improve the experience of victims in the criminal justice system cannot wait. In a recent survey by the Victims’ Commissioner, only 14 per cent of rape complainants believed they would get justice by reporting their crime. Meanwhile, the proportion of cases failing to proceed due to victims dropping out has almost trebled, from 8.7 per cent in 2015 to 25.4 per cent in 2020.

Given the urgency of the situation and your repeated pledges to bring forward legislation, victims must come first. Will you commit to introducing Labour’s Victims’ Law as the first piece of new legislation when the House returns?

We look forward to your response, and to working across party lines to put victims at the heart of our criminal justice system.

Yours sincerely,

The Rt Hon David Lammy MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Justice

Peter Kyle MP

Shadow Minister for Victims and Youth Justice