Victims and Prisoners Act 2024

35 Appointment of standing advocate

(1) The Secretary of State must appoint an individual as the standing advocate for victims of major incidents (in this Part, “the standing advocate”).

(2) The functions of the standing advocate are—

(a) to advise the Secretary of State as to the interests of victims of major incidents, and their treatment by public authorities in response to major incidents;

(b) to advise other advocates as to the exercise of the functions of those advocates;

(c) to make reports in accordance with section 41.

(3) The standing advocate may take such steps as the standing advocate considers are—

(a) appropriate to facilitate the exercise of, or

(b) incidental or conducive to,

the functions of the standing advocate or another advocate.

(4) An individual may be appointed as the standing advocate only if the Secretary of State considers that the individual is qualified, taking into account—

(a) the individual’s academic, professional or other qualifications, experience or skills;

(b) any other matter the Secretary of State considers relevant.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (2)(a), “public authority” includes—

(a) a court, tribunal, coroner, or inquiry panel within the meaning of section 3 of the Inquiries Act 2005, and

(b) any other person certain of whose functions are functions of a public nature,

but does not include the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service or the Government Communications Headquarters.