Inside Justice Week brings more support for victims of crime
17 Oct 2005
Ministers from across the Criminal Justice System will be announcing a series of new criminal justice measures during the week as well as attending events organised by the 42 Local Criminal Justice Boards.
The finalists of the Justice Awards, which reward outstanding work being done by people working and volunteering in the Criminal Justice System, will also be announced.
The new measures include:
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Publication of a Code of Practice for victims of crime, setting out by law for the first time the levels of service victims of crime can expect from the Criminal Justice System;
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Announcement of locations of 25 new specialised domestic violence courts;
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Opening of North Liverpool's pioneering Community Justice Centre, bringing justice closer to the community;
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Announcement of the finalists of the 2005 Justice Awards
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Launch of a new Prosecutor's Pledge, increasing prosecutors' responsibility towards victims;
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Opening more new Witness Care Units, which provide victims and witnesses of crime with a single point of contact for support throughout the criminal justice process;
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Providing Civilian Enforcement Officers with police mugshots of offenders to improve the tracking of offenders; and
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The third national clampdown on unpaid court fines and other court-imposed penalties, Operation Payback 3, which will take place throughout the week.
Hundreds of schools are taking part in local activities, including court open days and mock trials.
Attorney General Lord Goldsmith said:
"The Criminal Justice System has a special responsibility towards local communities and victims and witnesses of crime.
"The series of measures we are announcing during the week reflect the government's ongoing work to put victims at the centre of the Criminal Justice System. The combination of the new Code of Practice, more Witness Care Units and the Prosecutor's Pledge amount to a big step forward in the service victims and witnesses receive from the Criminal Justice System."
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs Lord Falconer said:
"I am delighted to be seeing so many courts opening their doors to the public during Inside Justice Week. People must feel confident that their local courts dispense justice fairly and efficiently. Finding out more about how they work will help this confidence to grow.
"However courts also have a responsibility to evolve in order to meet new challenges. The pioneering Community Justice Centre in Liverpool, officially opening this week, is doing just that by working much closer with the local people it serves".
Home Office Minister Baroness Scotland said:
"Communities lie at the heart of the Criminal Justice System. If justice is to work well it needs the public to understand it and feel confident in it. The finalists of the Justice Awards provide evidence of the outstanding (and often unsung) work already being done for the benefit of the public.
"Inside Justice Week will give the public opportunities to find out more about their local justice system. I am looking forward to attending several of the local events during the week."