Category: Victims in the justice system

Writing to Ministers on International Women’s Day, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and Victims Commissioner outline their concerns on sentencing and call for every domestic homicide to be subject to an independent review

Dame Vera Baird welcomes the plans, which outlines proposals to undertake an inspection of the service received by victims and witnesses throughout the court process.

The Home Office Minister has responded to the Victims’ Commissioner’s letter regarding police recording of hate crimes.

"Things must change and they must change soon." Dame Vera Baird calls latest rape statistics “shameful” and says “we cannot go on like this".

Dame Vera Baird says this "continues the disastrous downward trajectory of CPS charging in rape, which started in 2017 and continues to this day."

Victims’ Commissioner welcomes “welcome and clear-sighted move” by Home Secretary to reverse and end the presumption against bail, which “was a misconceived move” and “bad for victims.”

Dame Vera Baird said it was "incredibly frustrating and disappointing" to find GPs were still charging. "This fee must be abolished – it’s as simple as that."

The Victims' Commissioner fears the move from the Home Office set back work in the field and further hide the issue, which is already hidden, mis-identified, and under-detected.

Dame Vera Baird called for assurances from HMCTS that pressures on the court system, including the growing case backlog, would not "outweigh the potential adverse impacts on victims and witnesses".

Victims’ Commissioner and Domestic Abuse Commissioner say "little progress" has been made since the HMICFRS Honour Based Abuse inspection recommendations in 2015 and call for a follow-up inspection.