More rights for victims of crime
Notification scheme to be expanded.
More crime victims will get access to a range of information
about the perpetrator and have a say on decisions about their
prison release under newly unveiled justice reforms.
Currently victims can register with the Victim Notification
Scheme (VNS) if the offender in their case has been sentenced to
18 months or more in prison, or with the Victim Information
Scheme if the sentence was less than 18 months. Under Scottish
Government proposals to be considered by the Scottish Parliament,
all victims will be able to register under one programme with the
same right rights and same access to information, regardless of
the length of the offender's prison sentence.
A further proposal, if approved by MSPs, would give all victims
the right to make representations where an offender is being
considered for release on licence – and on the licence conditions
they would like to see imposed. Currently this entitlement only
applies where an offender was sentenced to four years or more in
custody.
Improvements are also proposed to the range of information
available through the VNS for victims of offenders in the
forensic mental health system who are subject to a compulsion
order and restriction order.
The plans build on previously announced proposed reforms to the
Victim Notification Scheme that will create a new Victim Contact
Team to give personalised support based on a victim's individual
needs.
The latest plans are being introduced as proposed amendments to
the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, the
next stage of which begins in the Scottish Parliament next week.
Victims Minister said:
“These reforms will put victims' rights at the heart of the
justice system. Victims of crime will be able to sign up to one
simplified notification scheme that allows them to receive
information about the offenders and, if they wish, to have a say
in decisions being made about the offenders, including their
release. These changes recognise that a victim's rights should
not hinge on the length of sentence that the perpetrator is
serving.
“One system will be easier for victims to navigate and this
change will add to a raft of proposed reforms to the VNS,
including the creation of a new Victim Contact Team. We
want victims to know their rights to receive information and to
be supported to make informed choices on whether they wish to do
so. We will continue to work closely with victims'
representatives as we take forward these reforms.”
Background
The Victim Notification Scheme (VNS) entitles victims of
offenders sentenced to 18 months of more (or close relatives of
those victims) to certain information about the person
responsible for the crime, such as the date of the offender's
release or if they are eligible for temporary release, such as
for training, work or home leave.
For those who register, Part 2 of the VNS gives victims, or in
certain cases the victim's representative, the right to
contribute to decisions taken whilst the offender is in prison or
detained in hospital. This includes the right to make
representations about the release of the offender.
The Victim Information Scheme (VIS) is available for victims of
offenders who are sentenced to less than 18 months' imprisonment.
Victims who sign up to the VIS are currently entitled to know
only the date of the release or escape of the offender.
The planned reforms to the VNS form part of the Scottish
Government's response to the Independent Review of the Victim
Notification Scheme, which heard directly from victims about
their experiences of the justice system and the VNS.
Victim Notification
Scheme: guidance for victims of crime
A separate notification
scheme exists for victims of offenders with a mental
disorder.
Scottish Government
response to the Independent Review of the Victim Notification
Scheme
Victim Notification
Scheme: Independent Review
