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The Victims’ Commissioner

A portrait photo of Claire Waxman OBE.
Claire Waxman OBE, Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales


Claire Waxman OBE was appointed as Victims’ Commissioner in September 2025, formally taking up the post in January 2026. In this role, she serves as an independent voice for victims and witnesses, championing their interests and holding the government and criminal justice agencies to account.

Her key duties include reviewing the operation of the Code of Practice for Victims (the Victims’ Code) and advising ministers on victim policy. Claire regularly engages with heads of criminal justice agencies, chief constables, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), parliamentarians, and voluntary groups to promote good practice and deliver better treatment for all victims and witnesses.

Claire brings extensive experience to the post, having previously served as London’s first Independent Victims’ Commissioner, a role she held from 2017 until her national appointment. During her time in London, she established the office as a driving force in improving services, ensuring survivors’ voices were heard at every level of the justice system. She was instrumental in placing victims at the centre of policing plans and campaigning for greater support for those affected by stalking.

Her work in the capital directly impacted change at a national level, including the publication of two rape reviews which led to the development of Operation Soteria – a national operation to transform how the system addresses serious sexual offences. Furthermore, her review into the Victims’ Code led to government reforms in 2021.

Claire has successfully lobbied for legislative change through the Domestic Abuse Act, Policing Act, and the Victims and Prisoners Act. Notably, she demonstrated the importance of speaking directly with families, successfully campaigning for criminals to be compelled to attend sentencing hearings – a measure included in the Victims and Courts Bill in 2025.

She was appointed OBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours for services to victims of crime.

Claire Waxman succeeds the late Baroness Newlove, who sadly died in November 2025.