Clause 46 - Power to transfer criminal cases
Courts Bill [Lords]
3:30 pm
Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment No. 58, in
clause 46, page 22, line 10, at end insert
'after hearing representations from all parties, including those representing the interests of the victim, lay and professional witnesses and defendants'.
This is an important amendment. When there is talk of criminal proceedings being transferred, we say from the Conservative Benches that it is extremely important not to allow the transfer without hearing representations from all parties, including in particular those who are representing the interests of the victims of the crime.
For many years, I have been involved with the organisation Victim Support. I have spoken to groups in various parts of the country, before joining the Front Bench of my party and since. I know that hon. Members on all sides of the House have had great involvement with Victim Support. Clause 46 inserts a new section 27A in the 1980 Act, but a statement should be clearly inserted in the Bill to the effect that, before a case is transferred, the victims have the right to be heard. That is because there is nothing worse for a victim of a crime—I have met victims of the most serious crimes, as have MPs from all parties—than to be told suddenly that the whole matter is being transferred, perhaps for good reasons, to a court in a different location that is much less convenient for them to get to. I am sure that many hon. Members have received harrowing letters from constituents who have been the victims of crime, or met such people in their surgeries, as I have.
We should not miss the opportunity to put into law provisions that say that the victims have a right to be heard before the case is moved. Even if there are good reasons for the transfer and there is a chance that it will go through in the end without any difficulty, as long as the victims feel that they have had an opportunity to make their point of view heard, they will at least feel that something relevant has happened, despite their probable concern if it is inconvenient for
them to get to the new venue. I hope that the Minister will respond positively to that suggestion.
Sitting suspended for a Division in the House.
On resuming—