Dear Colleague

Criminal Justice Bill

1.      The Criminal Justice Bill was published on 21 November and had its Second Reading in the House of Commons on 4 December.  A summary of the Bill’s provisions is at Annex A. 

2.      The Bill and accompanying explanatory notes can be accessed at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmbills/008/2003008.htm; and http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmbills/008/en/03008x--.htm.

3.      The Bill implements many of the proposals in the Criminal Justice White Paper “Justice for All” published earlier this year.  APA Circular 84/2002 provided a copy of the APA’s corporate response to the White Paper.

4.      The APA’s main concerns around the White Paper related to the absence of police authority representation on the National and Local Criminal Justice Boards.  These Boards are being set up administratively: accordingly, this is not dealt with in the Bill.  However, as advised last week, Ministers have now decided that police authorities should be core members of local Criminal Justice Boards and the APA will be represented on the National Board.  We will be issuing a separate circular shortly on the implications of this for police authorities.

5.      The Bill has now been referred to Standing Committee B and the members of the Committee are detailed at Annex B.

A Better Deal for Victims and Witnesses

6.      A key aim of the Bill is to “rebalance the Criminal Justice System in favour of Victims, Witnesses and Communities”.    The Government has published the enclosed leaflet “A Better Deal for Victims and Witnesses” setting out its proposals to provide better services and support to victims and witnesses.  As well as the measures contained in the Criminal Justice Bill, other notable proposals include:

	A national strategy for victims and witnesses to be published early in 2003;
	A statutory code of practice backed by an independent ombudsman (to replace the current Victim’s Charter);
	An independent Victims Commissioner; and
	A Victims Advisory Panel – to be set up in February 2003.

The provisions for a statutory code of practice and the independent commissioner will be contained in a separate Victims and Witnesses Bill to be introduced later this session.

7.   As you know, the National Policing Plan requires police authorities and forces to address the needs of victims and witnesses in their local policing plans and to work closely with organisations such as Victim Support.  The development of a new set of standards for police contact with the public including victims and witnesses is part of the work being undertaken by the Home Office and the Office for Public Services Reform under the “citizen focus” strand of the police reform programme.

8.    We will keep you updated on developments on both the Criminal Justice Bill and on Victims and Witnesses. In the meantime, if you have any queries about this circular or any other CJS issue, please do not hesitate to contact Fionnuala Gill or Claire Cooper at the APA Secretariat.

Melanie Leech
Executive Director

 

© APA 2002

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