Court Services for Victims

Free, confidential and professional services available for victims of crimes through the court system.

Services are available to people who, as the result of a crime, have:

suffered physical injury;
suffered emotional harm;
lost property (or had property damaged);
suffered the death (or mental incapacity) of a member of their immediate family;
had their child suffer harm or loss to their property.

Victims of crimes usually want to find out what is happening with the case they are involved in. They may also want to attend the court case, or know what might happen if they are needed as a witness.

Victim Advisers

Victim Advisers are specialist staff employed by the Court to help victims. Overall, their role is to:

provide information to victims about the case that relates to them;
advise victims about their rights in the court process;
help victims participate in the court system.

The services provided by the Victim Advisers are entirely confidential.

Victims of crimes are entitled to courteous, compassionate and respectful service from court officers, the Police and all others involved in their case.

Victims’ Rights Act 2002

The Victims’ Rights Act 2002 entitles victims to be fully informed of the progress of a court case relating to them. In some cases, victims are also entitled to have a say about matters such as name suppression, bail, home detention or parole.

If you are a victim involved in a court case, your Victim Adviser will:

let you know what is happening as your case progresses;

explain how the court system works;

make sure the Police and others connected with your case know of any concerns you have about it;

explain any bail conditions;

help you to let the Court know your views on the case;

explain your rights under the Victims’ Rights Act 2002;

familiarise you with what happens if you are to be a witness;

educate young witnesses about the court system and their role in it;

advise victims of sexual abuse or violation about the special conditions available to them for giving evidence in court;

let you know what protection is available, if you are worried about your own (or your family’s) safety because of what has happened;

help to make sure that your property is returned promptly if it has been used for evidence in the case;

explain how you may be told when the offender is to be released from prison on parole, from home detention or from a mental institution;

give you information on the other services available to help you, such as counselling services, welfare and accident compensation;

advise you on how your Victim Impact Statement can be presented to the Court.

Victim Impact Statements at court

A victim has the right to tell the judge how the offence has affected him or her. This is called a Victim Impact Statement (VIS), and is considered by the judge when the offender is sentenced. The Police will discuss preparing this with you.

A Victim Impact Statement is usually presented to the Court in written form.

If you wish to read aloud your Victim Impact Statement, you must let the Victim Adviser know as soon as possible.

This gives the Court time to make the arrangements for you. (Note that you can only read out your pre-written Victim Impact Statement. You cannot make any other comments.)

If you do not wish to read your VIS aloud in the courtroom, you can:

ask someone else (such as a friend or supporter) to read out your VIS for you; or

record your VIS on audio-tape or video-tape to be played to the Court.

Contacting a Victim Adviser

You can contact a Victim Adviser by telephoning (or going to) your local court. The telephone number is in the blue pages of your local telephone book, under "Justice – Ministry of". Court services for victims are free and confidential.

If you are a victim of a crime and you would like help, please call the Victim Adviser at your local court. An interpreter can be made available if you need one. Court services for victims are free and confidential.

Victims are entitled to courteous, compassionate and respectful service from court officers, the Police and all others involved in their case

Courts 050
October 2003