Briefing on Victims’ Code Compliance Monitoring

The Victims’ and Prisoners Bill misses an opportunity to strengthen victims’ ability to receive their Victims’ Code rights.

The following amendments to the Bill would make the necessary changes required to ensure that criminal justice agencies, tasked with upholding the rights of the Victims’ Code, can be held accountable effectively:

• As the Victims’ Commissioner has a statutory responsibility for monitoring compliance with the code, he/she should be responsible for compiling and publishing an annual assessment of Code compliance.
• The Bill should name the Victims’ Commissioner as a statutory consultee on any amendments to the Victims’ Code and any statutory regulations relating to the Code.
• The Bill should include a statutory requirement for the Secretary of State to impose national thresholds for minimum compliance with the Code.
• The PHSO should be required to share their findings, from victims’ complaints with the Victims’ Commissioner.
• The twelve ‘rights’ on the Victims’ Code should be enshrined on the face of the Bill.
• The Bill should include an explicit commitment to make the Code accessible to victims with disability or where English is not their first language.

For further information on any of the proposed amendments, please email victims.commissioner@victimscommissioner.org.uk.