Jack Straw on the National Victims' Service
"But the criminal justice system has changed further since the Code's creation. So I am announcing today that we will review the Victims' Code – not only to reflect recent developments, but to consider expanding the range of agencies with legal duties, as well as the types of victims and witnesses it covers."
"Importantly, the review will look at how we might give specific entitlements to victims of anti-social behaviour when cases are taken through the civil courts. Anti-social behaviour is often and wrongly considered 'low-level' or 'minor'. In truth, it can be a menace to local communities and have a traumatising effect on some who have to endure it. The review will build on the package of measures Alan Johnson announced in October – supported by £2.8 million extra funding – to improve the services we offer to this group of victims."
"Alongside the Code of Practice, we have introduced the 'victims' surcharge' to make offenders literally pay back and contribute to the support victims need, and we have trebled funding for victims' services in the voluntary sector."
"I'd like at this point to convey my thanks to the many representatives of voluntary organisations and charities who are here today, and to the thousands of volunteers up and down the country who work tirelessly in supporting victims of crime. Your organisations have looked after victims for many years – long before government became involved – and your persistent, determined campaigning has prompted fundamental changes to the criminal justice service. We owe all of you an enormous debt of gratitude."
"For some victims the process of reporting the crime and their experience in court can compound the impact of the offence committed against them. So we have made it easier and less distressing for vulnerable and intimidated victims and witnesses to give evidence in court – through special measures such as live links, screens and intermediaries [Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999], and provisions for anonymised evidence [Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Act 2008]. More than 150 joint police-CPS Witness Care Units now support around 400,000 witnesses each year – from the point of charge right through to the conclusion of a case."
"Meanwhile, the Crown Prosecution Service has placed the interests of victims centre-stage. As the first Prosecutors' Pledge requires, prosecutors now make it their business to speak to witnesses and keep them informed."
"All of this work has been underpinned by a single aim: to transform a bureaucratic criminal justice system into a genuine public service – a service which recognises the impact of crime on victims, treats them with respect, and gives them the support they need. Criminal justice staff now appreciate that by helping victims, they encourage more people to come forward and report crime, and help to build wider public confidence. There is greater understanding that justice is better served when the needs of the victims and communities affected by crime are seen as a priority rather than an afterthought."
"There are some who present the rights of the accused and the rights of the victim as being mutually exclusive – a zero sum. I reject that entirely. Advancing victims' rights need not compromise the way we deal with offenders, and focusing upon victims need not mean we pay less attention to turning offenders away from crime. It certainly doesn't mean we must dilute the fundamental principles of a fair trial. Any criminal justice system worthy of the name has to do all it can to ensure that only the guilty are convicted."
"That is important for its own sake in a civilised society. But it is important too for justice. The more confident members of the public are about the way victims are treated, the more likely it is that they will be prepared to play their own part in the criminal justice system – by reporting crime and going to court to give evidence."
Continued on page 5