The Justice Committee today publishes a report on its
pre-legislative scrutiny of the Government’s draft Victims Bill,
finding that it will have limited effect on police and other
agencies’ delivery of victims’ rights.
The cross-party Committee points to flaws in the way “victims”
are defined, a lack of enforcement powers, and the need for
additional resources for the Bill’s proposals to be effective,
particularly around victim liaison and counselling. It also finds
that the sharing of victims’ immigration status by the police
with the Home Office acts as a barrier to justice and calls for
the practice to end.
Through the draft Bill the Government seeks to improve the
police, CPS and Prison and Probation Service’s compliance with
the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (the Victims’ Code).
The Bill would place four ‘overarching principles’ of the Code
into statute. The Committee finds that the principles are so
“broad and permissive that it is unclear if they will serve any
legal purpose” and would do little to improve agencies’
compliance with the Code.
The draft Bill will also change the mechanisms for oversight of
the delivery of the Code, enhancing the role of PCCs while
diminishing that of the Victims’ Commissioner. While the
Committee welcomes the introduction of local monitoring through
the PCCs, it recommends that Victims’ Commissioner’s role should
instead be strengthened.
The report also welcomes the recognition given to Independent
Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and Independent Domestic
Violence Advisors (IDVAs), but urges ministers to find additional
funding to meet demand and allow the Victims Bill to live up to
its ambitions.
Justice Committee Chair Sir MP said:
“The draft Bill’s aim to improve the criminal justice system’s
treatment of victims is laudable, but the Government must provide
new funding to make it all possible. If not, the police, CPS and
Probation Service will be forced to divert funds away from their
core functions.
“The definition of a victim must be explained in more detail,
particularly where it includes witnesses without any mention of
how badly said witness has been affected. It can’t be the
Government’s intention that a witness to petty theft should have
more rights under this legislation than a murder victim’s next of
kin.
“The draft Bill comes amid a backdrop of significant and growing
court backlogs with victims of crime too often waiting years for
their cases to come to court, and criminal legal aid barristers
turning away from the profession. The Government is taking steps
in tackling those deep-rooted problems but until they are
resolved victims will continue to suffer harm for too
long.”
Read the report
