Found: That is why we introduced measures in the Victims and Courts Bill last month to give victims greater

Found: That is why we introduced measures in the Victims and Courts Bill last month to give victims greater

Found: Under-Secretary of State, Minister for Victims and Violence against women and Girls relating to the Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Justice, to the Chair, Justice and Home Affairs Committee regarding the introduction of the Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State regarding the introduction of Victims and Courts Bill

Found: and Violence Against Women and Girls, dated 6 May 2025 relating to the introduction of the Victims and Courts Bill

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Victims' Code is enforceable; and what mechanisms are available to victims to ensure that criminal justice agencies comply with that code.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

We are committed to ensuring that victims receive the service they deserve under the Code. This is why earlier this year we commenced the new statutory obligation from the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which requires those who provide Code services to comply with the Code unless there is a good reason not to. We have also commenced other measures from the 2024 Act that will help the Victims’ Commissioner to hold bodies to account for how they are delivering for victims, including by placing a duty on certain authorities to respond to the Commissioner’s recommendations and to cooperate with reasonable requests from the Commissioner.

We are building on these powers through the Victims and Courts Bill, which will provide the Victims’ Commissioner with new tools to drive systemic change. We will also consult on a new Code in due course to make sure we get the foundations for victims right.

If victims feel that they have not received the service they can expect as set out in the Victims’ Code, there are formal complaints processes that service providers are required to provide. If victims are not happy with a service provider’s complaint response, they can now complain directly to the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman without going through an MP.

The Government is committed to ensuring that victims can access the information and support they need. The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 created a framework to monitor criminal justice agencies' compliance with the Victims' Code, including legislative duties for agencies to collect and share information on Code compliance.

The framework has not yet been commenced - preparatory work is underway, for example actively engaging with criminal justice agencies on the underlying data that will support the development of the framework.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when she plans to commence section 8 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2025; and what steps she is taking produce the framework to review compliance with the Victims Code.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

We are committed to ensuring that victims receive the service they deserve under the Code. This is why earlier this year we commenced the new statutory obligation from the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which requires those who provide Code services to comply with the Code unless there is a good reason not to. We have also commenced other measures from the 2024 Act that will help the Victims’ Commissioner to hold bodies to account for how they are delivering for victims, including by placing a duty on certain authorities to respond to the Commissioner’s recommendations and to cooperate with reasonable requests from the Commissioner.

We are building on these powers through the Victims and Courts Bill, which will provide the Victims’ Commissioner with new tools to drive systemic change. We will also consult on a new Code in due course to make sure we get the foundations for victims right.

If victims feel that they have not received the service they can expect as set out in the Victims’ Code, there are formal complaints processes that service providers are required to provide. If victims are not happy with a service provider’s complaint response, they can now complain directly to the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman without going through an MP.

The Government is committed to ensuring that victims can access the information and support they need. The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 created a framework to monitor criminal justice agencies' compliance with the Victims' Code, including legislative duties for agencies to collect and share information on Code compliance.

The framework has not yet been commenced - preparatory work is underway, for example actively engaging with criminal justice agencies on the underlying data that will support the development of the framework.

Found: HC Hansard, 10 March 2025, cols 697–8. 189 HC Hansard, 10 March 2025, col 766. 190 The Victims and Courts Bill

Found: scope).168 She noted that the government had proposed its own measures on this issue in the Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Victims and Courts Bill 2024-2025

Found: scope).168 She noted that the government had proposed its own measures on this issue in the Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Alex Davies-Jones 2025-01-07 Public Prosecutions Discussed Victims and Courts Bill

Found: govuk-table__cell">Public Prosecutions

Found: efficiencies 2.36 Further efficiencies will be delivered, for example by the forthcoming Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Victims and Courts Bill

Found: Victims and Courts Bill

Found: 1 LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MEMORANDUM VICTIMS AND COURTS BILL 1.

Found: Constitution Committee to consider and report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Victims and Courts Bill

Found: and Constitution Committee The Welsh Government’s Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Victims and Courts Bill