Your Rights

Your rights as a victim are set out in the Victim Charter, which is a piece of legislation detailing the standard of care and the entitlements you can expect as a victim of crime in Northern Ireland.

You can read the whole document here, but in summary, the charter states that victims should be treated with dignity and respect, listened to and understood, and should be able to access necessary and appropriate information about the criminal justice system and available support services free of charge.  You can read a summary of the charter here

You also have similar rights if you are a witness to a crime.  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