Agenda item

The Chair introduced the report which highlighted the key proposals within the Ministry of Justice consultation on improving victims’ experiences of the justice system and requested the Board’s views on the LGA’s consultation response.

The Chair invited Rachel Phelps, Policy Adviser, to provide some opening remarks. Rachel highlighted the following key points:

·       The deadline for responses was early February.

·       Ahead of developing its response to the Victims' Bill consultation, officers had liaised with the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, wider partners including councils.

·       Key questions in the consultation were focused around supporting victims of crime with the aim of ensuring that when a criminal offence had taken place, the victim of crime is supported through to prosecution.

·       The consultation sets out a proposal for a statutory duty focused on community-based support services for victims of domestic abuse, sexual offences and serious violence. 

·       The draft LGA response highlighted the importance that all approaches were to be made cohesive with current reform changes, in particular the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill and Violence Against Women and Girls strategy.

·       The Victim’s Bill would go through a pre-legislative scrutiny process, where– a draft form of the Bill will be considered, with an additional consultation period, before the Bill would formally be introduced into parliament.

Following the discussion, members made the following comment:

·       Members raised concern around the language used when referring to short term funding provided by Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).

Decision:

Board members have been asked to provide direction on the LGA’s response to the consultation on improving the victims’ experience of the justice system.

Action:

·       Board members to provide any feedback on the draft response by the end of January. Officers to amend the LGA consultation response based on feedback from Safer and Stronger Community Board members and submit.