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News

News stories older than October 2020 can be viewed on the National Archive.

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130 articles

Statement from Dame Vera Baird QC on launch of new recruitment campaign for Victims’ Commissioner

Statement on Criminal Bar Association industrial action

Statement on the broadcast of Crown Court sentencing remarks

Crown Court sentencing remarks to be broadcast for first time.

Record number of reported rapes means modest CPS progress is not enough

Victims' Commissioner challenges new Prime Minister to commit to deliver on the government's rape review.

ASB Week: The Community Trigger – empowering communities

To tackle what is described as a ‘worrying’ lack of awareness, the second UK-wide ASB Awareness Week is running from 18-24 July 2022, calling on public bodies to use the opportunity to raise public knowledge of the Community Trigger.

Anti-social behaviour: living a nightmare

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is often treated as ‘low-level crime’ or even as sub-criminal but its impact can be deeply injurious and it is often targeted against people who are vulnerable already. It is high time tackling ASB became a top priority for government.

Policing watchdogs’ super-complaint on police-perpetrated domestic abuse a “missed opportunity”

Dame Vera Baird QC said the report's conclusions "fall short" as she continued to press for the establishment of a national policing protocol.

Statement on Criminal Bar Association industrial action

The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) is carrying out days of strike action from 27 June 2022, escalating its protest to the government’s proposals on criminal legal aid.

A vision for victims – participants, not bystanders

How have we got to the position where victims find their treatment by the criminal justice system to be worse than the crime itself? We urgently need an entire change of culture in how the justice system sees, hears and helps victims.

The Victims’ Bill – an opportunity to revolutionise how victims are treated

In her 2021/22 Annual Report, Dame Vera Baird looks to the changes the Victims' Bill needs to usher in.