Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he will take to uphold rights currently afforded to victims in the UK under the EU Victims Rights Directive after the UK leaves the EU.

In England and Wales, transposition of the EU Victims’ Directive was evidenced through pre-existing legislation and through the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (the Victims’ Code), which is issued by the Secretary of State for Justice under section 32 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. The legislation and Victims’ Code exist independently of EU law and as such leaving the EU will not affect the services provided to victims.

We committed in the Victims Strategy, published in September 2018, to amend the Victims’ Code to address its complexity, accessibility and update the entitlements so that they are more reflective of victims’ needs. We intend to consult on these changes shortly.