The latest Ministry of Justice consultation entitled “Getting it right for victims and witnesses” opened on 30th January 2012 amid a lot of press about the role of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. The consultation, which closes on 22nd April 2012 has two parts.

Part 1 sets out the Government’s proposed approach to ensuring that victims and witnesses get the support they need, both to overcome the consequences of crime and to participate fully in the criminal justice process. It also sets out a commitment to ensuring that offenders take greater responsibility for repairing the harm they have caused, through a combination of financial reparation and restorative justice.

Part 2 sets out how the Government proposes to reform the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS) to protect compensation payments for those most seriously injured while removing less serious injuries like sprains from the scheme and restricting payments to those with criminal convictions.

Further information can be found at http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/victims-witnesses-cp3-2012.htm