ABSTRACT

This chapter sets out the Council of Europe provisions concerning victims’ rights to information, to be treated with respect and to have their interests recognised, and to receive protection in appropriate circumstances. It considers the measures that have been adopted in English law and policy to give effect to these rights, particularly the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime 2005 (the Victims’ Code) and the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 (YJCEA). It contends that, although these measures comply with European standards, the fact that the duties placed on criminal justice agencies in terms of the Victims’ Code are not enforceable, and the measures in the YJCEA are subject to judicial discretion, may undermine their effectiveness, particularly for vulnerable victims.