Draft Victims Bill The purpose of the draft Bill is to: ● Put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system, ensuring their experiences are front and centre of the process and encouraging them to remain engaged in the criminal justice system, enabling justice to be done and making our communities safer. ● Ensure we have an effective justice system that serves society by restoring victims' confidence that their voices will be properly heard and that perpetrators will be brought to justice. The main benefits of the draft Bill would be: ● Improving the support victims receive in and beyond the criminal justice system, particularly for victims of sexual violence, domestic abuse and serious violence. ● Holding agencies such as the police, Crown Prosecution Service and HM Courts and Tribunals Service to account for the service they provide to victims. ● Providing clarity about what victims can and should expect from the criminal justice system. The main elements of the draft Bill are: ● Enshrining the Victims’ Code in law. ● Increasing transparency and oversight of the services that criminal justice agencies provide to victims by granting a greater role for Police and Crime Commissioners and inspectorates to assess delivery. ● Enabling improvements in the quality and consistency of support services for victims of sexual violence, domestic abuse and serious violence. ● Elevating and increasing awareness of Independent Sexual Violence Advisors and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors so that they can better work together with other agencies to consistently meet the needs of victims. Territorial extent and application ● The draft Bill will extend and apply to England and Wales.
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