Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales

Claire Waxman OBE, an independent voice for victims.

The official account for the Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales.

[Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales @VictimsComm]

Victims are waiting years for justice - delays that deepen their trauma and undermine confidence in the justice system.

In my interview with @ObserverUK, I explain why addressing the courts crisis must be the priority if we are to fix the wider system.

🔗https://t.co/LCjZo9K7xe

[Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales @VictimsComm]

Victims experience the justice system as one system. Government too often treats it as several.

Until we reform justice as a whole, victims will keep paying the price.

Read the article below.

[Rachel Sylvester @RSylvester1]

Andy Burnham has a blind spot about the criminal justice system - my latest newsletter column for @ObserverUK
https://t.co/0uVv2w0mTj

[Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales @VictimsComm]

81,000 Crown Court cases are waiting for trial. Behind every number is a survivor waiting for justice and closure.

After speaking in the House of Lords, survivors urge Parliament to use the Courts and Tribunals Bill to act. Justice delayed is trauma prolonged.

[Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales @VictimsComm]

🔗Read my response to the government's proposed changes to the Courts and Tribunals Bill: https://t.co/hYnTZi5Th1

[Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales @VictimsComm]

The Courts and Tribunals Bill is a rare opportunity to tackle the backlog crisis. Later this week, survivors will share with Peers the human cost of court delays.

Victims have heard promises before. They now need evidence that reform will deliver swifter justice and real change.

[Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales @VictimsComm]

Ahead of tomorrow’s next tranche of releases, I am keeping up the pressure on the Government to ensure everyone released early is fitted with a tag before release.

Government must act at pace. Public safety and the protection of victims must come first.

[Claire Waxman OBE @voice4victims]

The Government must ensure all offenders released early are tagged BEFORE release, using modern GPS technology, not outdated systems.

Public safety and victims’ protection must come first.

https://t.co/bglm1QEqXE

[Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales @VictimsComm]

I spoke to @LBC about early release: victim safety must come first.

A tag is only a safeguard if the justice system acts the moment it’s breached. Without swift, meaningful consequences for broken license conditions, we risk giving victims a dangerous, false sense of security.

[LBC @LBC]

‘It feels like a false sense of security.’

@voice4victims says victims of stalking and domestic abuse have ‘very little confidence’ in the tagging system for early release prisoners.

@TomSwarbrick1

[Claire Waxman OBE @voice4victims]

Tagging must manage risk and put victims’ safety first.

If bail conditions or tagging conditions are breached, there must be rapid and meaningful consequences.

A tag is only a safeguard if the system acts when it is breached.

[BBC Radio 4 Today @BBCr4today]

"We're going to reach a time when we can't recover... It's not sensible for any aspect of our criminal justice life."

Lord Leveson, who led the review of criminal courts, says he thinks his proposal to curb jury trials was right - despite ministers now ditching the plan.

[Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales @VictimsComm]

Morwenna's courage in sharing her story is a powerful reminder of what is truly at stake. Survivors continue to pay the price of a broken system.

As Government drops a key plank of its court reform programme, victims are entitled to ask: do the remaining reforms go far enough?

[Sky News @SkyNews]

Andy Burnham has scrapped plans to end the right to a jury trial, which was hoped would tackle court backlogs.

A survivor says 'rapists will walk free'.

Warning: This report by political correspondent @amandaakass mentions rape.⁠

[Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales @VictimsComm]

The Government has announced major changes to its court reform programme.

Ministers insist the remaining reforms will still deliver the transformation needed to meaningfully tackle court delays.

The question now is whether they are right.

My statement: https://t.co/hYnTZi6r6z

[Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales @VictimsComm]

As early prison releases get underway, many victims may be feeling anxious about what this means.

Victim Support has launched a dedicated helpline, providing support to anyone concerned about an offender being released from prison.

Find out more: 🔗 https://t.co/X7kucm69LB

[Claire Waxman OBE @voice4victims]

Today I’ve been speaking about my deep disappointment that criminal justice has not been prioritised in the PM’s plan for Britain.

Today should surely be the wake-up call.

Criminal justice reform must be a priority. Victims deserve justice and safety.

https://t.co/fxpnHKuefW

[Sky News @SkyNews]

"I'm not convinced" that Andy Burnham grasps the scale of the criminal justice crisis, Victims' Commissioner Claire Waxman tells @CathyNewman.

It's after hundreds of prisoners were released under a government scheme to reduce pressure on the prison system.

📺 Sky 501

[LBC @LBC]

‘There will be women across the country who will have to live in the most awful state of fear and anxiety.’

@voice4victims says it was an ‘oversight’ for Burnham not to focus on the criminal justice system, as 700 criminals have walked free under the early release scheme.

[Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales @VictimsComm]

As early release begins, I spoke to @GMB about the impact this will have on victims.

Victims keep paying the price for years of systemic mismanagement. If criminal justice isn't part of the PM's Plan for Britain, we'll keep lurching from crisis to crisis - and failing victims.

[Victims' Commissioner for England & Wales @VictimsComm]

With a justice system in crisis, assurances are not enough. I need to see these safeguards work in practice. I will be closely scrutinising their implementation to ensure victims are kept safe.

My statement: https://t.co/T9dKiQWedj

[Ministry of Justice @MoJGovUK]

Offenders leaving prison will face tougher restrictions ever & closer supervision.

GPS tagging, new restriction zones & bans from pubs, clubs & other public events will help to put victims first, protect the public & hold offenders accountable.

https://t.co/92qwRHvAhw