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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| Victims of crime law planned by government | Victims of crime law planned by government |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Crime victims in England and Wales are to be given legal rights for the first time, the justice secretary has said. | Crime victims in England and Wales are to be given legal rights for the first time, the justice secretary has said. |
| Chris Grayling says the proposed law will see victims kept informed about their case and courts will allow most to provide a personal impact statement. | Chris Grayling says the proposed law will see victims kept informed about their case and courts will allow most to provide a personal impact statement. |
| Separate plans will see a victims' information service set up next March and more child witnesses film their evidence before a trial starts. | Separate plans will see a victims' information service set up next March and more child witnesses film their evidence before a trial starts. |
| Labour is to outline its own proposals for victims in the coming weeks. | Labour is to outline its own proposals for victims in the coming weeks. |
| Range of support | Range of support |
| At the moment, a victims' code sets out guidance for courts, police and the probation service. The proposed law, which will be subject to a bill in the next Parliament, will enshrine several of its measures into legislation. | At the moment, a victims' code sets out guidance for courts, police and the probation service. The proposed law, which will be subject to a bill in the next Parliament, will enshrine several of its measures into legislation. |
| The code's entitlement for victims to tell the sentencing judge and offender how a crime has impacted their life through a statement is among the measures that will become law. | The code's entitlement for victims to tell the sentencing judge and offender how a crime has impacted their life through a statement is among the measures that will become law. |
| The information service will include a helpline and website and aims to guide victims to support services. | The information service will include a helpline and website and aims to guide victims to support services. |
| Ministers will also consult on plans to pay compensation up front to victims - many have had to wait years in the past - and courts will be modernised to include separate waiting areas for victims and defendants. | Ministers will also consult on plans to pay compensation up front to victims - many have had to wait years in the past - and courts will be modernised to include separate waiting areas for victims and defendants. |
| Publicly-funded lawyers will also be required to have specialist training before working on serious sex offence cases. | Publicly-funded lawyers will also be required to have specialist training before working on serious sex offence cases. |
| Mr Grayling said the current legal system could be daunting for victims. | Mr Grayling said the current legal system could be daunting for victims. |
| "Victims, especially the most vulnerable, can find it traumatic and difficult to know where to turn to for advice and support," he said. | "Victims, especially the most vulnerable, can find it traumatic and difficult to know where to turn to for advice and support," he said. |
| "We are also making it easier for them to find whatever it is they need by establishing one simple source of information and help - be it tracking the progress of their case, applying for compensation, knowing what to expect in court, or understanding the range of support available to them." | "We are also making it easier for them to find whatever it is they need by establishing one simple source of information and help - be it tracking the progress of their case, applying for compensation, knowing what to expect in court, or understanding the range of support available to them." |
| Child witnesses | Child witnesses |
| The government is hoping to extend a pilot scheme in three Crown Courts that allows children to be cross-examined before trials, away from court, with their evidence filmed and later shown on video during a trial. | The government is hoping to extend a pilot scheme in three Crown Courts that allows children to be cross-examined before trials, away from court, with their evidence filmed and later shown on video during a trial. |
| Concerns had previously been raised about how children were affected by the court process - with reports of one victim who was cross-examined for 12 days by seven defence barristers. | Concerns had previously been raised about how children were affected by the court process - with reports of one victim who was cross-examined for 12 days by seven defence barristers. |
| If successful, the scheme will be apply to all child witnesses by the end of 2017 and may also be extended to include vulnerable adult witnesses. | If successful, the scheme will be apply to all child witnesses by the end of 2017 and may also be extended to include vulnerable adult witnesses. |
| The chief executive of the charity Victim Support, Mark Castle, said: "Children and other vulnerable victims and witnesses should not have to face the trauma of giving evidence in a court building, unless they choose to." | The chief executive of the charity Victim Support, Mark Castle, said: "Children and other vulnerable victims and witnesses should not have to face the trauma of giving evidence in a court building, unless they choose to." |
| He added: "Our witness service team, who work behind the scenes in court, see every day just how distressing it can be... especially for victims of a violent or sexual crime. | He added: "Our witness service team, who work behind the scenes in court, see every day just how distressing it can be... especially for victims of a violent or sexual crime. |
| "Putting victims' rights in law sends a clear message to police, prosecutors and the courts that addressing the needs of victims is central to their work - it cannot be an optional extra." | "Putting victims' rights in law sends a clear message to police, prosecutors and the courts that addressing the needs of victims is central to their work - it cannot be an optional extra." |
| Victims' Commissioner Baroness Newlove welcomed the plans but questioned how they would differ in practice from the existing victims' code. | |
| "A new law cannot be used as a quick fix," she said. | |
| "Recently, we've seen how the abuse of victims in Rotherham was covered up... I'd like to know how a victims' law would put a stop to this dismissive, ignorant and collusive behaviour." | |
| She suggested the information service would not "put an end to victims being pushed from stranger to stranger to find out what is happening to them. That's why I want to see the government going further by introducing... a victim care manager". | |
| 'Back of an envelope' | 'Back of an envelope' |
| BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw says the announcement may be seen as an attempt to pre-empt Labour plans for a victims' law. | BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw says the announcement may be seen as an attempt to pre-empt Labour plans for a victims' law. |
| Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said the party's taskforce had consulted widely over the past year. | Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said the party's taskforce had consulted widely over the past year. |
| He said the government had let down victims by cutting compensation for innocent victims of violent crime and leaving the position of victims' commissioner vacant for almost a year, before making the role part time. | He said the government had let down victims by cutting compensation for innocent victims of violent crime and leaving the position of victims' commissioner vacant for almost a year, before making the role part time. |
| Mr Khan said Downing Street had also wanted to reduce prison sentences by half if criminals entered a guilty plea, closed down rape centres and courts, and cut resources for Victim Support. | Mr Khan said Downing Street had also wanted to reduce prison sentences by half if criminals entered a guilty plea, closed down rape centres and courts, and cut resources for Victim Support. |
| "This announcement looks like it's been cobbled together on the back of an envelope, in the dying months of this government," he added. | "This announcement looks like it's been cobbled together on the back of an envelope, in the dying months of this government," he added. |