38 ways to better protect victims of crime

The Justice and Electoral select committee has today reported back from its inquiry into the rights of victims in the criminal justice system. The inquiry was initiated by the Green Party following the passage of the Prisoners and Victim Claims Compensation Bill

“Our judicial system is set up to meet the ‘needs’ of judges, prosecutors and defence counsel above anyone else. The rights of victims are often overlooked. These recommendations seek to change that,” Nandor says.

“The Justice and Select Committee report on the Victim’s Rights Inquiry presents recommendations, which if taken up by the Government, will do much to guarantee that our judicial system is also just from the point of view of complainants and victims.

“These are important and significant recommendations and I look forward to a positive response from both the Government and all political parties. Cross party support is needed to ensure that they are implemented and properly resourced.”

The committee makes 38 recommendations for better victim protection. Key recommendations include:

the establishment of a Charter of Victim’s Rights
the establishment of a single agency to oversee all matters relating to victim’s issues, including coordinating and monitoring agencies that victims may be required to deal with.
establishment of a comprehensive compensation scheme for victims
provision of comprehensive information for victims
services for complainants available within court precincts
a review of services available to identify gaps
allocation of sufficient resources to fill gaps identified and implement the committee’s recommendations

“A single agency approach will prevent victims’ needs from falling through the gaps. We also support a case management approach to make sure that individuals are not poorly treated because of lack of coordination between agencies.

“The review also presents recommendations around comprehensive compensation for victims of crime, which will mean that, if taken up by the Government, will provide adequate and accessible compensation.

“There is some compensation for some victims from ACC, but there is no comprehensive coverage. This urgently needs to be addressed,” Nandor says.