Out-Law News 1 min. read

UK to sign up to EU-wide victims rights laws, Ministry of Justice says


The UK will "opt in" to new EU laws that will set out the minimum rights of crime victims, the Government has said.

In May the European Commission set out draft proposals for a new EU Directive that would establish standard rights for EU citizens who fall victim to crime in another EU country.

Although final wording of the Directive has still to be confirmed, it will include requirements that victims are treated with respect and are provided with information on their rights and their case in a way they understand, the EU has said.

The Directive will also set out requirements that victims have access to support services which provide information and emotional support, that victims should have the right to participate in court proceedings if they want, and that vulnerable victims are identified and properly protected during police investigations and court proceedings.

"The availability of support for victims in other European countries can vary hugely," Justice Minister Nick Herbert said in a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) statement.

"This Directive will help ensure that victims’ rights are clear and consistent so that they can be confident in reporting crime and helping bring offenders to justice, wherever in Europe they may be," Herbert said.

The establishment of new EU-wide protection orders, detailed in separate European Commission draft regulations, will also offer better support to individuals, the MOJ statement said.

"Currently, protection can vanish the moment a victim crosses a border. But the planned new protection orders will mean that measures to safeguard the most vulnerable victims can automatically follow them when they travel to another European country," the statement said.

"This would mean that, for example, a victim given a non-molestation order in one country, will be given a similar standard of protection in another EU country without having to go through lengthy and complex court procedures," it said.

The European Commission said the UK's decision to support the new laws would help strengthen victim protection in Europe.

"Providing minimum standards for victims of crime everywhere in Europe is a measure of necessity to strengthen confidence in the justice systems," Viviane Reding, EU Justice Commissioner, said in a statement.

"The UK’s move will help bring the country's strong record and experience in helping victims to the rest of Europe. British people who travel abroad should also enjoy the same high standards for support that they receive at home. The UK move, which comes shortly after a similar decision by the Irish authorities, will help ensure that no matter where crimes occur in Europe, victims can have confidence that somebody is there to take care of them," Reding said.

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