Joint inspection of Victims Code compliance
The Chair and Panel recommend that the Ministry of Justice, Home Office and Attorney General commission a joint inspection of compliance with the Victims' Code in relation to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. The Victims' Commissioner should be consulted on the inspection approach to ensure that it is fully informed by the experiences of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.
- In May 2023, the government stated that the Criminal Justice Joint Inspectorates had included an inspection of victims' experiences of child sexual abuse in the criminal justice system in their 2023-25 programme (Government Response to IICSA Final Report, HM Government, May 2023).
- No published joint inspection report specifically on Victims' Code compliance in CSA cases has been identified to March 2026.
How was this evidence gathered?
Response
Not Accepted
Response
Not AcceptedThe Victims Strategy commits to hold agencies to account for compliance with the Victims' Code through improved reporting, monitoring and transparency on whether victims are receiving entitlements. The Ministry of Justice is considering the role the Victims' Commissioner might best play in the process. The Government will discuss the possibility of a joint inspection with the CJJI once the compliance framework is formally commenced.
The MoJ has developed a compliance framework for the Victims' Code focussed on the five entitlements which victims highlighted as most important to them. The framework was launched on 1 April 2019. PCCs will oversee data collection at local level; the national Criminal Justice Board will receive a national report in early 2020. The MoJ has also launched a public consultation on proposals for revising the Victims' Code.
On 23 October 2020, the Ministry of Justice stated that the operational demands of the COVID-19 pandemic on both the Ministry of Justice and criminal justice agencies meant that development of the Victims' Code compliance monitoring framework had not been possible. The Ministry of Justice confirmed that it was looking to restart this work and would renew its engagement with the Criminal Justice Board. On 25 May 2022, the Ministry of Justice published a response to its consultation on the Victims Bill to understand how to improve victims' experiences of the criminal justice system. The Ministry of Justice stated that it will introduce a wide range of measures within the Victims Bill and, as issues raised in the consultation cannot be addressed through legislation alone, that the Bill will sit alongside additional measures. A second Inquiry recommendation on compliance with the Victims' Code was made (see row 83).