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23/02/2006
Families of victims to get advocate in court
Families of murder and manslaughter victims are to be allowed to have a representative in court, as part of a new pilot scheme announced by the government.
The pilot of victims' advocates scheme will take place in the Old Bailey - which handles a third of all murder and manslaughter cases in England and Wales - and Crown courts in Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester Crown Square and Winchester for one year from April.
Trials at the courts involved in the pilot will hear from an advocate speaking on behalf of the victim's family at the sentencing stage of the case. The court will be read a statement on how the death and subsequent events have affected the family.
Currently, families cannot speak during trials.
Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, said that the scheme was "ground-breaking".
Victim's group Support After Murder and Manslaughter has welcomed the scheme. Spokesperson Rose Dixon said: "SAMM supports the changes that Lord Falconer has announced in relation to victims' advocates and acknowledges that this will go some way to redress the balance of the rights of the bereaved families in homicide cases and will give families a sense of having some input to the process."
(KMcA/GB)
The pilot of victims' advocates scheme will take place in the Old Bailey - which handles a third of all murder and manslaughter cases in England and Wales - and Crown courts in Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester Crown Square and Winchester for one year from April.
Trials at the courts involved in the pilot will hear from an advocate speaking on behalf of the victim's family at the sentencing stage of the case. The court will be read a statement on how the death and subsequent events have affected the family.
Currently, families cannot speak during trials.
Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, said that the scheme was "ground-breaking".
Victim's group Support After Murder and Manslaughter has welcomed the scheme. Spokesperson Rose Dixon said: "SAMM supports the changes that Lord Falconer has announced in relation to victims' advocates and acknowledges that this will go some way to redress the balance of the rights of the bereaved families in homicide cases and will give families a sense of having some input to the process."
(KMcA/GB)
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