The Better Outcomes for Victims work programme is a three-year government initiative to improve victims’ experience of the justice system in key areas identified by victims and victims’ advocates. Announced in April 2023, the programme also supports the government’s longer-term work to build a more victim-focused criminal justice system overall.
The programme includes three placed-based pilots, launched in July 2023, to address pain points in the system identified by victims and victims’ advocates by making operational changes.
One pilot, held in Manukau, aims to strength the criminal justice approach to child victims of sexual violence. Led by the Ministry of Justice and supported by Police, Oranga Tamariki and other justice sector and community partners, this Manukau-based pilot aims to ensure victims receive more joined up and consistent contact from agencies. It also provides the option for victims to give evidence away from the court environment.
The other two pilots are based in Whangārei and supported by Whangārei Police and District Court staff, who will centralise and coordinate the work. The first works to improve safety planning and coordination for victims of serious crime. The team will work together to ensure victims have a robust safety plan in place. The second aims to ensure victims are given adequate opportunity to provide their views during the bail decision process. The team will centralise and coordinate this work across justice sector.
The three pilots will run for 12 months, providing immediate improvements for victims. The data and insights gathered will help inform the design of a more victim-focussed operating model for the justice system.
The programme includes planned legislative changes to further strengthen legal protections for victims of family violence and sexual violence. These changes address known issues within the current settings and build on the significant work to date. They will focus on three areas: strengthening protections for child victims of sexual violence; strengthening autonomy for adult victims of sexual violence: name suppression and strengthening legal framework to recognise and respond to litigation abuse.
The programme also provides extra support for Victim Support and the Victims Assistance Scheme. The additional funding for Victim Support will have immediate positive impacts for their service and operations, enabling them to meet the increased service demands from victims and ensuring more victims are supported.
Information gathered from the three pilots will inform a new operating model across the justice system. This new Justice Sector Victims Operating Model aims to provide a better designed, delivered and experienced criminal justice system for victims.Justice Sector agencies are also working on other long-term initiatives that will improve outcomes for victims in the criminal justice system. These include the Criminal Process Improvement Programme, Te Ao Mārama and Te Au Reka.