“Listen to victims”: Victims’ Commissioner issues heartfelt plea to MPs ahead of debate on landmark reforms to the courts
Claire Waxman has welcomed the launch of a national Independent Legal Advisor service and the expansion of Operation Soteria, calling them "crucial" steps in protecting rape victims.
This comes as the Victims’ Commissioner issued a powerful open letter to Members of Parliament on Monday (9 March), urging lawmakers to keep victims at the centre of the upcoming debate on court reform.
Responding to the announcement, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman OBE said:
I have always been clear: any reform of our courts must be matched by concerted action to tackle the poor treatment victims experience. That is why I welcome the introduction of a national Independent Legal Advisor service.
I first called for this reform in my London Rape Review in 2019 because I knew how critical it was for rape victims to understand their rights to privacy and to be properly safeguarded throughout the justice process. The Independent Legal Advisor service is crucial to challenge overly intrusive requests for personal material and ensure these requests are necessary and proportionate. It is promising to finally see this commitment being delivered.
I also strongly welcome the expansion of Operation Soteria into the courtroom. We all know that the court experience can be daunting and often distressing for rape victims. Ensuring that trials remain focused on the suspect’s actions, rather than the intrusive scrutiny of the survivor, is a vital step forward.
We must stop asking the impossible of victims and start delivering a system in which they can place their trust – one that works well in practice, not just in theory. My hope is we can begin that work today.
Ahead of the Courts and Tribunals Bill’s Second Reading, Claire Waxman OBE issued a powerful open letter urging MPs to “listen to victims: their voices, their stories, and the reality of the waits they endure.”
She asked that as Parliament prepares to debate these crucial reforms, they do not lose sight of the people at its heart and listen to the reality of the waits they endure. “Please listen to victims: their voices, their stories, and the reality of the waits they endure”, she wrote. “Because without them, there will be no justice.”
In her letter, Claire Waxman highlighted the profound “human cost” of these delays, citing victims who have lost jobs, suffered severe declines in their mental health, and attempted suicide while waiting years for their day in court.
Echoing the conclusions of Sir Brian Leveson, she argued that structural reform is now unavoidable to prevent demand in the Crown Court from continuing to outstrip supply. This includes adjusting the threshold of when a case warrants a jury’s involvement to end the intolerable delays facing victims.
“The Government asked Sir Brian Leveson to find a way out before the system collapses. His conclusion is clear: investment and efficiency alone will no longer solve this crisis. Structural reform is now unavoidable.”
“Of course, Parliament must debate and scrutinise these proposals carefully”, she wrote. “But here is the reality: if we debate endlessly and fail to implement urgent solutions that reduce waiting times, victims will simply stop engaging with the justice system altogether. They cannot endure years of uncertainty and re-
traumatisation. Fewer will come forward. More cases will collapse. Offenders will act with increasing impunity, and public safety will suffer.”
The Commissioner’s letter came as over 30 female Labour MPs have written to the Justice Secretary, David Lammy, urging the Government to remain steadfast in its modernisation of the court system. The MPs highlighted that the current backlog, which exceeds 80,000 cases, is failing women and girls, with victims of rape and domestic abuse facing trial dates as late as 2030.