Victims deserve the right to be heard: Sign our petition today
This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.
Every victim of crime deserves the right to be heard. But right now, many are left unable to have their say or get their questions answered. This needs to change. Sign our petition to ensure that all victims have the legal right to explore Restorative Justice – a proven, powerful way to empower victims’ voices and hold perpetrators to account.
Why me? are delighted to be campaigning with The Common Ground Justice Project to get a right for victims of crime to explore Restorative Justice into the upcoming Victims and Courts Bill. We are proposing an amendment which will give victims of crime the legal right to be given information on Restorative Justice, and be referred to a Restorative Justice service.
If you want more people affected by crime to be able to access this crucial resource, please sign our petition and share the campaign with your networks.
We are launching this campaign alongside the West End run of Punch. The play centres on the story of Jacob Dunne, whose memoir Right from Wrong outlines his experience from committing a one-punch manslaughter on a night out, to meeting the parents of the man he killed in a Restorative Justice meeting.
Information about our campaign will be shared with all theatre-goers who attend the play, using the inspiration sparked by the performance to make real, lasting change.
We urge you to join the movement by signing the petition and sharing it with your friends, family, colleagues and wider network.
What will this look like?
We are proposing an amendment to the Victims and Courts Bill, which is about to go through the Reports Stage of the House of Commons. Following this, it will progress through the House of Lords.
Our amendment would add a clause to this Bill, stating that all victims of crime have the right to information on Restorative Justice, and the right to a referral to a Restorative Justice service.
In our briefing for Parliamentarians we have also highlighted the need for information given to victims of crime to be timely and high-quality, and share a list of organisations responsible for enforcing this right, including police, witness care and courts etc.
In the coming weeks, we will be reaching out to Parliamentarians, encouraging them to table the amendment. We will keep you posted with our progress.
Why is it needed?
We know that Restorative Justice transforms lives. With an 85% victim satisfaction rate, and the ability to reduce reoffending by between 14-27%, it can change the way victims of crime move forward.
The Victims Code, a piece of statutory guidance (not primary legislation), currently gives victims of crime the right to information on Restorative Justice, and a referral to support services including Restorative Justice. However, we know that this right is not being met. Research shows that less than 6% of victims of crime recall being told about Restorative Justice. More needs to be done to strengthen this entitlement and ensure that victims rights are being met in reality. By including the right in primary legislation, it becomes more enforceable, with organisations being held to account and there will be wider awareness of its benefits amongst criminal justice organisations.
What can I do?
- Sign the petition
- Share the campaign
- Engage with our posts on social media to promote the campaign (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads)
- Sign up to Why me?s newsletter and Common Ground Justice Project’s newsletter to keep up to date on this campaign.
If your organisation would like to add your name to the list of supporters, please get in touch with Keeva at keeva.baxter@why-me.org.
