Debate contribution: Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Maurice Bradley on 30 June 2026.

MLA: Mr Maurice Bradley
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 30 June 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Executive Committee Business
Heading: Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill: Second Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5653495

Text

I will speak as a DUP member of the Justice Committee on the Second Stage of the Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill. For me, the Bill is not simply about creating another office or changing another piece of legislation; it is about people. As MLAs, every one of us has sat across a desk from constituents whose lives have been turned upside down by crime. We have listened to victims of burglary who no longer feel safe in their home and to victims of assault whose confidence has been shattered. We have listened to victims of hate crime, to families grieving the loss of a loved one and to witnesses who did the right thing by coming forward but found the process daunting and, at times, overwhelming.
One of the comments that I hear most often is not about what happened but about how people felt afterwards. They felt forgotten, left in the dark and like just another case number moving slowly through a system that they did not understand. That should concern every one of us. Justice should not end when an offender is charged. Justice also means ensuring that victims are treated with dignity, kept informed and supported throughout what can be months or even years of court proceedings. I welcome the intention behind the Bill. The proposal to establish formally the post of Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses of Crime, which is efficiently held in designate form by Geraldine Hanna at the moment, has the potential to provide victims with a stronger voice and ensure that public bodies are held to account for the services that they provide. However, the work of the members of the Justice Committee is only beginning. The legislation has not yet been subjected to detailed scrutiny. We owe it to victims and witnesses to ensure that we get this right. We need to examine whether the proposed commissioner will have sufficient powers to make a real difference, whether agencies have the resources to deliver what the Bill requires and whether the changes will lead to practical improvements rather than simply to additional bureaucracy. Good intentions alone are not enough. I would argue that victims must never become an afterthought in our justice system, whether that be when considering road traffic offences, violence against women and girls, child criminal exploitation, hate crime or sentencing reform. Behind every statistic is a real person whose life has been changed for ever. The justice system exists, first and foremost, to deliver justice. It must punish those who offend, but it must also care for those who have suffered because of offending. If the Bill helps victims to understand their rights, receive better communication, access the support that they need and have confidence that someone is championing their interests, it will be a positive step forward. As the Bill progresses through Committee Stage, I will approach its policy objectives with an open mind. I look forward to hearing directly from victims' organisations, witnesses, legal professionals and criminal justice agencies. Where the Bill can be strengthened, it should be strengthened. Where concerns are identified, we should address them. Victims deserve more than warm words from the Assembly. They deserve a justice system that listens, responds and stands beside them at a most difficult time in their life. I look forward to playing my part in ensuring that the legislation achieves exactly that, if it passes at Second Stage.

571 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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