The Minister for Policing, Criminal Justice and Victims (Damian Green)
I am pleased to announce that the Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Newlove of Warrington, has today published her annual report. I have placed a copy in the Library of each House.
The role of the Victims’ Commissioner, as set out in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, is to promote the interests of victims and witnesses, encourage good practice in their treatment and keep under review the operation of the statutory victims’ code.
The report outlines the impressive work undertaken by the Victims’ Commissioner and her team during the Baroness’s first year of office. In addition, the report highlights the priorities she has identified to improve services and support for victims and witnesses during 2014-15: monitoring compliance with victims’ code; complaints and redress for victims; restorative justice (RJ); putting victims first when cases are dealt with out of court; giving victims, including vulnerable victims, a voice. The Victims’ Commissioner will continue to ensure that the views of victims are represented to Ministers.
The role of Victims’ Commissioner has been full-time since 2 June 2014. This will enable Baroness Newlove to spend more time focusing on her priorities; undertaking the important role of supporting victims of crime; continuing her work with victims of antisocial behaviour and holding the Government and criminal justice agencies to account for providing victims with the service to which they are entitled under the victims’ code.