Today’s publication of a Victims' Bill has been over a decade in the making and I am delighted that the Government has taken a significant step towards giving victims legally enforceable rights.
The draft Bill is a good start, but this legislation is a once in a generation chance, so we need to see much more ambition and vision. Giving the Victims’ Code a basis in statute could help with enforcement, but sanctions for not complying are unclear. It is an unavoidable fact that in the years we have been waiting for a Victims' Law, countless victims have had their rights under the Code denied, have been failed by the justice system, and have been forced to withdraw.
I am calling on the Government to use this Bill to introduce a Victim Care Hub, which would transform the treatment of victims in the justice system and improve communication between victims and criminal justice agencies. It would allow criminal justice partners to discharge their victim care and update obligations to an independent agency, alleviating some of the pressures facing justice agencies, and fulfilling the Government’s ambition to ensure the victim’s voice plays a fundamental role in their justice journey
The Government’s aim to put victims ‘firmly at the heart of the justice system’ is laudable but will be nothing more than empty words unless the legislation represents all victims. This Government has a track record of overlooking the needs of migrant victims and has repeatedly rejected a firewall to create safe reporting routes. The Bill also overlooks bereaved families who are often forced to navigate inquests and public inquiries without legal representation and support.
It also is also inconceivable that piling more legislation on to an overburdened justice system without adequate resources behind it will deliver any meaningful change on the ground. For too long, Government has been denying the realities of the front-line of the justice system and without significant, long-term investment, the system will continue to struggle to deliver justice.
I look forward to working closely with the Government to deliver on their ambition of better support and justice for victims, and welcome the opportunity I have to provide evidence to the Justice Select Committee in its pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill.