News

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.

New research reveals the Victims' Commissioner needs an enhanced role and powers to ensure entitlements under the Victims' Code are properly delivered and agencies held to account.

As we kick off #16DaysOfActivism against gender-based violence, the Victims' Commissioner reflects on the recent Femicide Census 10-year report and reiterates her call for the government to introduce a freestanding offence of strangulation in the Domestic Abuse Bill.

The Victims' Commissioner and Domestic Abuse Commissioner respond to the announcement of government funding for domestic abuse in the Spending Review.

Ahead of the upcoming Spending Review, the Victims' Commissioner and Domestic Abuse Commissioner write a joint letter to the Prime Minister and Chancellor highlighting the "inadequacy of current funding arrangements" for domestic abuse services.

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

The Commissioners welcome the emergency funding, "which will ensure help and support for thousands of victims for the next few months,” and urge the government to work quickly to provide clarity on longer-term funding.

In his letter to the Commissioners, Minister Chalk sets out the government’s response to their joint calls for a second round of extraordinary COVID-19 and longer-term funding.

Dame Vera Baird said she was “pleased” to see the government had acted upon her suggestions and she looked forward to working with the government on how the Code could be promoted and agencies held to account with the introduction of a Victims’ Law.

The winter funding is "much needed" but both Commissioners call on the government to provide longer-term funding to enable services to continue their "critical work" past March 2021.