Member

Turning to new clause 4, victim impact statements, which are made by victims and sometimes their family members in court, allow victims and their families to explain in their own words how a crime has affected their lives. They are an important part of the justice process and one of the few chances that victims have to be heard directly by the court. However, there are real concerns about the restrictions placed on what victims are allowed to say in these statements. Many victims and their family members have said that they were told to remove parts of their statements or to avoid expressing their true feelings. That is deeply unfair and undermines the purpose of the statement. I understand the formality of the proceedings, but the current approach often strips away the honesty and the points that victims would like to make.