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Where am I now? Lawlink > Homepage > Victims Rights > Charter of Victims Rights - plain English version
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Charter of Victims Rights - plain English version
1. Respect
You will be treated with respect, dignity and compassion. At all times your culture will be respected.
2. Information about services
You will be told as soon as possible about the different services that can help you, including counselling and legal services.
3. Access to services
If you need medical, counselling, and legal help you will be able to get it if it is available.
4. Information about investigation of the crime
If you ask, you will be told about how the police investigation is going. But in some cases there may be some things the police can’t tell you.
5. Information about the prosecution
Prosecution is about taking the offender to court for the crime. This is done by the police, or, in serious cases, the Director of Public Prosecutions.
- As a victim, you will be told:
– what the charges are OR why the offender has NOT been charged;
– any decision of the prosecution to change or drop charges;
– the date and place of the court hearing;
– the final court result, including any appeal or gaol sentence given.
- If the prosecution is thinking about changing or dropping the charges they will have a talk to
you about this if the crime:
– was a serious sex crime, OR
– caused you physical harm, mental illness or emotional shock.
BUT the prosecution don’t have to talk to you if:
– you don’t want to talk about it, OR
– they can’t find you.
6. Information about being a witness
If you have to give evidence as a witness in a trial you will be told about HOW the trial works and WHAT you have to do.
7. No contact with the offender
While your case is in court you will be protected from contact with the offender and the offender’s witnesses.
8. Protection of your privacy
You can keep your address and phone numbers private unless the court says different.
9. Court business before the trial
You do NOT have to go to any committal hearing (like a mini trial) or other court business before the trial UNLESS the court says you must.
10. Returning your goods used as evidence
If the police or prosecution took any of your goods as evidence you have the right to get it back as soon as possible.
11. Your protection
If you need protection tell the police or prosecution when the offender applies for bail.
12. Special bail conditions
You will be told about any special bail conditions the offender is given, which are meant to protect you or your family, like a condition which says the offender must not contact you.
13. Bail decision
If you were the victim of sexual assault or other serious assault you will be told if the offender gets bail or not.
14. Victim Impact Statement
If you want to tell the court about how the crime has affected you, then you will be given help and support to do this. This is called giving a ‘victim impact statement’.
15. When the offender gets released
If the offender is in gaol you can be told if the offender is going to be released from gaol soon, has escaped gaol or is on day release.
16. When the offender applies for parole
You can have a say if your offender applies for parole.
17. Victims compensation
If you were the victim of a serious personal violence offence, you can apply for victims compensation.
18. Information about complaint procedures
You can make a complaint if you think your rights under the Charter have not been met. You can ask for information about how to do this.
Charter of Victims Rights (Full version)
Go to Charter of Victims Rights (Full version) webpage
Download the Charter of Victims Rights in your preferred format
- Charter of Victims Rights - full version (pdf 156Kb)
(2pp information sheet) Sets out the 18 Charter rights from the Victims Rights Act 1996and also explains what to do if the victim feesl their rights under the Charter are not being met.
- Your Rights as a Victim of Crime (pdf 772Kb)
(B5 booklet) Explains the Charter of Victims Rights, especially for victims with a cognitive disability. Using photos, this booklet goes through each of the 18 rights under the Charter with explanations in plain English.
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