Category: Victims in the justice system

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.

Dame Vera Baird urges the Commission to consult widely with the VAWG sector on the creation of any new offences.

The police data on honour-based abuse "shows we are doing these victims a disservice," says Victims' Commissioner.

Dame Vera says some of the most vulnerable people in society suffer significant, avoidable harm in fear fear that criminal justice authorities will treat them as a questionable immigrant, not a victim. "This has to stop," she says, "and I am pleased to see HMICFRS has recognised this in its report."

Dame Vera Baird has written to the Minister for State for Crime and Policing, Kit Malthouse MP, to discuss the police recording of hate crime.

In her consultation response, Dame Vera Baird welcomes the initiative to consider how to make the parole process more open, while urging the Ministry of Justice to be mindful of the potential for traumatising victims.

The Victims' Commissioner welcomes the national rollout of pre-recorded cross-examination (Section 28).

The Victims’ Commissioner reacts to “alarming” inspectorate findings as it was revealed the CPS was responsible for a significant number of “serious” data security breaches of victims’ personal details.

he increase in the percentage of victims withdrawing support for a prosecution is very worrying and should be seen as part of an ongoing trend. It tells us there is falling confidence in our justice system, either to deliver justice or to do so in a timely way.