Victims Of Crime To Be Given Right To Challenge CPS

New rights could allow victims of crime to challenge the Crown Prosecution Service over decisions to drop a prosecution or to not charge a suspect.

The new Victims' Right to Review (VRR) will be opened to public consultation today (Wednesday) to try and determine how the policy should work.

It is understood that under the new policy any victim, including bereaved family members, would have the ability to appeal to the CPS to re-examine a case following a decision not to charge, to discontinue proceedings or offer no evidence.

Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, is quoted by the Guardian as saying: "The criminal justice system historically treated victims as bystanders and accordingly gave them little say in their cases," Starmer said. "The decisions of prosecutors were rarely reversed because it was considered vital that decisions, even when later shown to be questionable, were final and could be relied upon.

"This approach was intended to inspire confidence, but in reality it had the opposite effect. Refusing to admit mistakes can seriously undermine public trust in the criminal justice system.

"It is now recognised by the criminal justice system that the interests of justice and the rights of the victim can outweigh the suspect's right to certainty. This is already reflected in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, but more needs to be done to correct this historic imbalance and ensure that the people affected by our decisions can hold us to account. It recognises that victims are active participants in the criminal justice process, with both interests to protect and rights to enforce."

(MH/CD)