Victims and Courts Bill 2024-2025

The Victims and Courts Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on 7 May 2025. The Bill’s second reading is scheduled for 20 May 2025.

What are the policy objectives of the bill?

The bill would make provisions relating to victims’ experiences and the administration of justice. The bill is part of the government’s Plan for Change, which aims to restore trust in the system to deliver timely justice for victims. The government say they were elected on a promise to deliver a justice system that puts the needs of victims first.

Strengthening the powers of the Victims’ Commissioner was a manifesto commitment, as was halving violence against women and girls in a decade, which the government describes as its landmark mission. Many of the bill’s provisions were commitments in the King’s Speech 2024.

What would the bill do?

The bill would create a statutory power for judges to order offenders to attend their sentencing hearings and to give out sanctions that would take place in prison if they do not attend.

The bill would restrict parental responsibility for child sex offenders sentenced for four years or more for an offence against a child for whom they hold parental responsibility.

The bill would expand the eligibility of the Victim Contact Scheme, meaning more victims could access the scheme.

It would strengthen the powers of the Victims Commissioner , so they were able to investigate individual cases in some circumstances, request information from local authorities and social housing providers, and publish an annual report reviewing compliance with the Victims’ Code.

The bill would increase flexibility for the Director of Public Prosecutions in appointing Crown Prosecutors and set rates at which prosecutor costs in private prosecutions can be recovered from Central Funds.

The bill would amend the time limit for the Attorney General to refer a sentence to the Court of Appeal on the grounds that it is unduly lenient.

The bill would amend Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Powers for six either-way offences bringing them in line with other offences.

Where would the bill take effect?

All of the bill would apply to England and Wales and clause 2 would apply to the armed forces whether in the UK or serving anywhere in the world.