Introduced on the 7th of May, the Victims and Courts Bill principally looks to create a statutory power for judges to order offenders to attend their sentencing hearings and strengthen the powers of the Victims Commissioner. Most of the Bill applies to England and Wales, this includes Clauses 1,3 to 10 and 12, while Clause 11, on sentencing reviews, would apply to Northern Ireland, criminal proceedings are devolved in Northern Ireland and therefore this change would have no effect. Clause 13 to 16 would contain some final provisions, and would extend and apply to all of the UK. The Bill’s second reading was held on the 20th, and it swiftly passed this second reading, now standing at the House of Commons Public Bill Committee; now looking for those with relevant expertise and experience to help scrutinise the legislation.
What does the Bill aim to do?
We have covered the Victims and Courts Bill and it’s provisions previously, which you can find here. However, in short, the Bill aims to:
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.
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.
Expand the eligibility of the Victim Contact Scheme, meaning more victims could access the scheme.
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.
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.
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.
Amend Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Powers for six either-way offences bringing them in line with other offences.[1]
Parliamentary Process
The Public Bill Committee will meet first, on the 17th of June 2025, and it is expected that they will report by the 26th of June 2025. Once it passes the committee stage, the Bill will move to the report stage, which normally takes place two weeks after committee stage, before moving to a third reading - the final opportunity to debate the bill, which is usually immediately after the report stage ends. It will then move to the House of Lords, following the same parliamentary process, albeit with a few differences.
We will be responding on behalf of our members in order to influence this piece of legislation, if you would like to contribute towards our submission, please contact:
Harrison Box, Policy Officer
[1] https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2025/may/victims-and-courts-bill-call-for-evidence/
