Victim statements
Section 33: Persons to be afforded opportunity to make victim statement
This section provides that a victim is to be afforded an opportunity to make a written victim statement (to be known as a victim personal statement), setting out the effect of an offence or alleged offence. Regulations may provide for others to be afforded the opportunity, setting out when, how and by whom the opportunity should be afforded. A family member may make a statement, where a person cannot act on their own behalf or the victim has died.
Section 34: Supplementary statement
This section enables Regulations to make provision related to supplementary victim personal statements.
Section 35: Use of victim statement
This section enables Regulations to set out the use of the victim personal statement and make provision for the court to have regard to so much of any statement that it considers relevant to the offence in determining a sentence.
Section 36: Disclosure for purposes of victim and witness support services and victim information schemes
This section gives effect to the insertion of Schedule 3, which provides for the sharing of relevant information about victims and witnesses to service providers so that victims and witnesses can be advised about available services.
