Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 58
Right to Review schemes and communication to victims require significant improvement.
Conclusion
There is room for improvement to the Right to Review schemes and the communication of them to victims. The details of the schemes in the Code need to be clearer and the CPS and police need to improve their performance in informing victims of the schemes’ existence and how they operate, including a victim’s right to make representations under those schemes. Witnesses to our inquiry made a number 54 Pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Victims Bill of recommendations on how the Right to Review schemes could be improved. We have set these out in this Report and recommend the Government give each of them due consideration.
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledged concerns about Right to Review schemes and committed to working with police and CPS to assess recommendations and make information in the Code clearer, with further changes to be considered for appropriate updates.
Paragraph Reference:
58
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
23. We acknowledge the Committee’s concerns about the effectiveness of the schemes and will work closely with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to assess the recommendations included in the report. The Code requires that victims are provided with information about these schemes and we have committed to make the information in the Code on these schemes clearer. 24. The Government recognises the victim’s right to challenge certain decisions as a key principle underlying the Code. We will consider this issue, and should any future changes to the schemes be considered appropriate, ensure that these are properly updated in the Code. Pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Victims Bill: Government Response 11