Policy paper

Draft Victims Bill

We are publishing a draft Victims Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny, ensuring we will deliver on our manifesto commitment to pass and implement a Victims Law.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Draft Victims Bill

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Explanatory notes

Delegated powers memorandum

Impact assessment

Equality statement

Details

The draft Victims Bill includes measures that will:

  • amplify victims’ voices and make sure victims are at the heart of the criminal justice system;
  • improve support for victims to cope and recover from the impact of crime and enable them to engage with the criminal justice system;
  • strengthen transparency and oversight of criminal justice agencies at local and national level so that victims’ experiences support them to engage, and remain engaged with, the criminal justice system.

These measures will help victims to have confidence that there is the right support available and that if they report crime, the criminal justice system will treat them in the way they should rightly expect.

We are also publishing a wider package of measures that put victims firmly at the heart of the criminal justice system. These are set out in the Government’s response to the consultation “Delivering justice for victims - a consultation on improving victims’ experiences of the justice system”.

Published 25 May 2022