About us
The Victims' Advisory Panel (VAP) is for victims of crime and their families to have a say in the reform of the Criminal Justice System.
The Victims’ Advisory Panel (VAP) is a statutory advisory Non-Departmental Public Body established in March 2003 to enable victims of crime to have their say both in the reform of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) and in related developments in services and support for victims of crime.
The Victims’ Advisory Panel consists of people who themselves have been victims of crimes such as burglary, anti-social behaviour and hate crime, are family members of murder victims or who provide support to victims. The terms of reference for the Panel are to advise the Home Secretary, Lord Chancellor and the Attorney General (or their representatives), and through them other Cabinet Ministers, of the views of victims of crime with particular reference to their interaction with the Criminal Justice System and its agencies. The Panel’s remit also includes offering views and advice on the prevention of crime from a victim’s perspective and generally contributing to developing and safeguarding the rights of victims.
The VAP receives advice and support from officials with Victim and Witness responsibility from the Ministry of Justice, OCJR and the Crown Prosecution Service. Twice yearly full panel meetings take place and are attended by Ministers and officials from CJS government departments.
The current VAP has been in place since July 2006 and its 3 year tenure expired July 2009. The next will be chaired by the new Commissioner and we intend to recruit that new VAP once a Commissioner has been appointed. The previous VAP was invited to extend their tenure in the meantime and the current extended VAP now consists of 4 Lay Panel Members.
Panel members share their experiences and generate ideas and practical proposals for improving services to victims and witnesses. Panel members have advised Ministers in the trilateral CJS Government Departments on victim and witness key priorities which are to improve victims and witness experience under the following areas:
information about the CJS and case progression support to attend court listening to the views of victims and witnesses support for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses access to appropriate support and compensation support at court and beyond high quality of service from CJS staff Improved experience for victims and witnesses from minority groups There will be a role for the next Commissioner to shape and manage the work plan of the next VAP, and to report on progress via the annual report to the Justice Secretary which gets laid in Parliament.