Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Accepted in Part
Paragraph: 58
Amend Victims’ Code to provide victims with free access to sentencing remarks.
Recommendation
The current situation where victims have to pay significant sums to receive a transcript of sentencing remarks from the Crown Court is unsustainable. We reiterate our call for all sentencing remarks to be published (subject to the relevant legal restrictions). As a minimum, victims of crime and bereaved families should have ready and free access to sentencing remarks. It should be possible to use voice recording technology to ensure that remarks are recorded at minimal cost. The Victims’ Code should include a right for victims of crime to be provided with the sentencing remarks of the judge without charge.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government has committed to a one-year trial allowing victims of rape and serious sexual offences to receive sentencing remarks free of charge, and is working to increase online publication of judgments. However, it explicitly rejected the recommendation for all victims to receive free sentencing remarks due to financial implications.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
58
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted in Part
27. The Ministry of Justice places great importance on the principles of openness and transparency in the criminal justice system, recognising how important it is for victims to be able to engage with criminal proceedings in a way which helps them to recover. Some victims may choose not to attend parts of the trial, including the sentencing hearing, particularly victims of sexual offences, due to the nature of the terrible crimes committed against them.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗