Your rights as a witness

If your case goes to court, the Public Prosecution Service will contact you with details of the case.  At this stage, you should be offered a referral to Victim Support NI, who can help support you through this time.  You will have the right to a ‘needs assessment’ to ascertain if you have any special requirements for the case.  These can include special measures such as giving your evidence via a video link, or from behind a screen.  Victim Support NI can help you with this.  If the case goes to trial, and the defendant is found guilty, we can also help you prepare a ‘victim personal statement’ for the judge, which explains how the crime has affected you.

The Witness Charter was passed into law in 2017 and sets out the standards of care and entitlements you can expect if you are a witness to a crime in Northern Ireland. It addresses both prosecution and defence witness entitlements.  You can read the Witness Charter here

Your rights as a victim of crime are explained in the Victim Charter for Northern Ireland. This Charter sets out how victims of crime should be treated and what advice, support and practical information they can expect to receive. A bereaved family member, family member or representative (in certain circumstances), and a parent on behalf of or instead of a child are also covered by this legislation.

The Victim Charter puts into law the rights of a witness to:
– be treated in a courteous, dignified, respectful, sensitive, tailored, professional, and non-discriminatory way
– be given the outcome of a bail hearing (where it directly affects the victim/witness) and the trial
– claim expenses, if asked to give evidence
– have access to victim information schemes (where relevant)
– receive information on the date, time, and location of key court hearings such as trial, sentence and appeal
– be given the opportunity to make a written statement to the court about how the crime has affected you, and where the case is to go to court
– discuss any needs you have with your case officer in the Victim and Witness Care Unit, and be referred to a relevant victim support service provider, if appropriate, who can advise you of services
– ask for a court familiarisation visit before the case is heard, to enter the building through a different entrance from the suspect and to sit in a separate waiting area, where possible
– be told if you have to give evidence at court and receive information to help you prepare for this
– be protected from contact with the alleged offender at court, where possible.