The Scottish Government’s Making Justice Work Programme represents the most significant set of reforms to courts for more than a century. A central objective of the programme is to improve the experience of victims and witnesses, and a commitment has been made to to bring forward a Victims and Witnesses Bill during this Parliament.
This consultation paper marks an important milestone in the development of the Bill and represents a key strand of Making Justice Work. The proposals start from the view that victims should not simply be seen as passive spectators of proceedings or recipients of services but people who have legitimate interests and needs. No one wants to be a victim of crime and the impact on their life may go on long after the justice system has moved on to another case.