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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 11:18 pm
Time: 11:18 pm
Results for victim impact statements (australia)
2 results foundAuthor: Victim Support Agency (Victoria, Australia) Title: A Victim's Voice: Victim Impact Statements in Victoria. Findings of an Evaluation into the Effectiveness of Victim Impact Statements in Victoria Summary: The primary rationale for introducing Victims Impact Statement (VIS) legislation in Victoria was to give victims the opportunity to have input or a voice in the sentencing process. At a broader level, this opportunity aims to be therapeutic for victims and to promote increased satisfaction by victims with the criminal justice system. This report was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of VIS. Details: Melbourne: Victoria Department of Justice, 2009. 143p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 117389 Keywords: Sentencing (Victoria, AustraliaVictim Impact Statements (Australia)Victims of Crimes (Australia) |
Author: Victoria (Australia). Department of Justice Title: Victim Impact Statement Reforms in Victoria: Interim Implementation Report Summary: On 1 January 2011, several important reforms were introduced in Victoria which were designed to improve the process of making a Victim Impact Statement (VIS) for victims of crime and to give them more choice and flexibility in how they were presented. The reforms were based on recommendations set out in a report by the Victims Support Agency (VSA) entitled A Victim's Voice: Victim Impact Statements in Victoria, October 2009 which presented the findings of an evaluation into the effectiveness of VISs in Victoria at that time. The recommendations can be grouped into the following five reform priority areas: - Amendments to the Sentencing Act 1991 (Vic) to give victims (or their nominated representative if approved by the court) the right to read their own VIS aloud in court and to attach additional material such as photos, drawings and poems to a written VIS. The legislative amendment also provided for victims to request special arrangements such as remote witness facilities or screens when reading their VIS. - Development of new, clearer and more user-friendly VIS form and information packages. - Review of VIS training for victim support workers and Victoria Police. - Increased take-up of VISs in the Magistrates' Court. - Development of information for judicial officers about the approach to VISs in sentencing and the importance to victims of crime of judicial recognition. Changes in legislation and criminal justice procedures can often only be assessed over time and this report presents the findings of an interim evaluation of the first two years of the reforms. The report draws on data from a broad range of sources, some of which, including an analysis of court files and transcripts of plea hearings, has not previously been collected. The data includes the results of surveys of judicial officers in the Supreme and County Courts of Victoria and the Magistrates' Court of Victoria, as well as Crown Prosecutors, Victoria Police prosecutors and defence counsel. A comprehensive media analysis of VIS reporting over a four year period was undertaken to capture media coverage of VIS before and after the reforms were introduced. The report also draws on information provided in statewide consultations with victim support workers and counsellor advocates and, most importantly, on information provided by victims of crime themselves about their experiences of making a VIS. The report describes the work done to implement each of the five reform areas and then presents the findings in relation to each of those areas. The research indicates that victims who exercise their right to read their VIS aloud often describe it as their opportunity to 'stand up and have a voice' or to 'take back the power' (from the offender). There were also some victims interviewed who were disappointed at having missed out on an opportunity to read their VIS. However, it appears that the majority of victims still either tender their VIS or have the prosecutor read it aloud. Details: Melbourne: Victorian Government, 2014. 104p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed February 4, 2015 at: http://assets.justice.vic.gov.au/voc/resources/bab78d32-8a19-44bf-bcce-248afdb4c6e2/victim-impact-statement-reforms-in-victoria-interim-implementation-report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://assets.justice.vic.gov.au/voc/resources/bab78d32-8a19-44bf-bcce-248afdb4c6e2/victim-impact-statement-reforms-in-victoria-interim-implementation-report.pdf Shelf Number: 134527 Keywords: Victim Impact Statements (Australia)Victim ServicesVictims of Crime |