The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (Victims’ Code of Practice) Order 2020

Statutory Instruments

2020 No. 1314

Criminal Law, England And Wales

The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (Victims’ Code of Practice) Order 2020

Made

at 9.35 a.m. on 19th November 2020

Laid before Parliament

at 4.00 p.m. on 19th November 2020

Coming into force

1st April 2021

The Secretary of State for Justice, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 33(7) and (8) of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (“the Act”)(1), makes the following Order.

In accordance with sections 32 and 33 of the Act, the Secretary of State brought into operation on 16th November 2015 a code of practice as to the services to be provided to a victim of criminal conduct by persons appearing to him to have functions relating to victims of criminal conduct or any aspect of the criminal justice system. Under section 33(8) of the Act, the Secretary of State for Justice may from time to time revise a code previously brought into operation.

In accordance with sections 33(2) to (4) of the Act, in preparing a draft of the revised code, the Secretary of State for Justice consulted the Attorney General and the Secretary of State for the Home Department and after doing so published it and specified a period during which representations about the draft may be made to him.

In accordance with section 33(5) of the Act, in considering representations made to him about the draft, the Secretary of State for Justice consulted the Attorney General and Secretary of State for the Home Department and modified it in the light of them.

In accordance with section 33(9) of the Act, it appears to the Secretary of State for Justice that the proposed revisions would not result in a significant reduction in the quality or extent of the services to be provided under the code, or a significant restriction in the description of persons to whom services are to be provided under the code.

In accordance with section 33(6) of the Act, the Secretary of State laid the revised code of practice before Parliament on 18th November 2020.

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (Victims’ Code of Practice) Order 2020 and comes into force on 1st April 2021.

Date on which the revised code of practice comes into operation

2.  The revised code of practice entitled “Code of Practice for Victims of Crime” laid before Parliament on 18th November 2020 comes into operation on 1st April 2021.

Alex Chalk

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Ministry of Justice

At 9.35 a.m. on 19th November 2020

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order brings into operation the revised code of practice entitled “Code of Practice for Victims of Crime” on 1st April 2021. The revised code of practice replaces the code of practice that was brought into operation on 16th November 2015 by S.I. 2015/1817.

An online copy of the revised code of practice can be accessed at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-code-of-practice-for-victims-of-crime. Hard copies can be requested from the Ministry of Justice at 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ.

An impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of the public sector was produced with the Government’s response to the consultation on improving the Victims’ Code, and is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-code-of-practice-for-victims-of-crime.

(1)

2004 c. 28, sections 32 and 33 were amended by S.I. 2007/2128.