Witness Charter
Background to the Witness Charter
The Witness Charter provides a commitment from the CJS to offer a minimum standard of service to all non-expert witnesses. It consists of 34 standards that set out the level of service that witnesses should receive at each stage of the criminal justice process. It covers the period of engagement from when they report a crime or incident through to court and post-trial support.
The Charter has been produced so that witnesses understand how they should be treated by the police if they witness a crime or incident; and subsequently by other criminal justice agencies and lawyers if they are asked to give evidence for the prosecution or defence in a criminal court. It sets out the help and support a witness should receive from the agencies and lawyers involved at each stage of the process.
In Brief
The Government is wholeheartedly committed to putting victims and witnesses at the heart of the Criminal Justice System. 4 out of 5 victims and witnesses are now satisfied with the way they are supported by the CJS. The Charter is an important part of our work to further improve the support that victims and witnesses receive from criminal justice agencies.
The Witness Charter is a set of standards that define the service witnesses can expect to receive from the Criminal Justice System.
The Charter sets out the support and information that witnesses will receive from reporting a crime, through the court process, to the end of their case.
The Charter is being implemented across England and Wales from April 2009. It will ensure that witnesses are supported and kept safe so that they can give their best evidence.
For more information about the Witness Charter, click here