Content area
Full text
A new Government charter aims to increase the number of people coming forward as witnesses in criminal cases. David Craik runs through the changes and finds out what legal requirements and rights witnesses will now have.
If you've ever thought twice about contacting the police as a witness to a fatal road accident, lorry hijacking or theft, then be reassured - from next year the Government aims to make the whole process much more comfortable.
The Witness Charter, to be launched next April, implements new standards of service that witnesses in criminal cases can expect to receive throughout every step of the legal process. The primary aim of the Witness Charter is to bring more offences to justice by encouraging more witnesses to come forward.
At present there is no specific guidance on how witnesses should be treated when they are reporting a crime, including the process of making a statement.
The charter covers every stage from reporting a crime to post-trial support. It encompasses all the police forces in England and Wales and the British Transport Police and covers all witnesses including third party witnesses - those who are neither victims nor expert witnesses (see panel, right). After reporting a crime, a witness under the charter will be:
* Identified, if applicable, as a 'vulnerable' or 'intimidated' witness
* Asked to make a statement as soon as possible and at a convenient time and place of their choosing
* Updated regularly on the progress of...