The Charter of Rights for Victims of Crime establishes how justice agencies should engage with victims through the criminal justice process. It also offers complaint pathways if victims’ rights are not upheld.

We want to know if:

• the charter is working well for victims of crime.
• it effectively operates to ensure victims’ rights are upheld by justice agencies.

Before taking the survey or uploading a longer response, we encourage you to read the discussion paper and our help and support section below.

By submitting feedback you consent to your response, or parts of your response, being used in a report on the feedback we receive during this consultation. We may also use your feedback in our report reviewing the charter's operation.

We will keep your information confidential and anonymous.

The Charter of Rights for Victims of Crime was introduced to the Victims of Crime Act 1994 in July 2020, through the Victims Rights Legislation Amendment Act 2020.

The Victims of Crime Act and the charter it contains aim to:

• acknowledge the central role of victims in the criminal justice system
• uphold the safety, privacy and dignity of people negatively affected by crime and other harmful behaviour
• help victims cope with the effects of crime and other harmful behaviour
• establish appropriate methods for justice agencies to engage with victims, minimizing adverse outcomes and preventing trauma
• establish requirements for monitoring and reviewing victims' rights.

The Victims of Crime Act 1994 requires the Minister for Human Rights to review how the charter is operating after three years.

The Charter of Rights for Victims of Crime seeks to ensure that, in the administration of justice, engagement with victims is governed by victims' rights.

The specific rights for victims of crime in the charter include:

• respectful engagement and protections relating to privacy and safety
• access to support, services, legal and financial assistance
• information about the administration of justice processes
• information about investigations, proceedings and decisions
• participation in proceedings.

The charter also outlines processes for victims to make complaints and raise concerns where their rights under the charter have not been upheld by a justice agency.

Justice agencies who exercise functions and have rights to uphold under the charter include:

• ACT Policing
• The Office of the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions
• ACT Courts and Tribunal, when acting in an administrative capacity
• ACT Corrective Services
• the Restorative Justice Unit
• the Sentence Administration Board, when acting in an administrative capacity
• the Victims of Crime Commissioner and her office, being Victim Support ACT
• the Victims Register.

The discussion paper has further detail about these rights and how justice agencies must uphold them.

Your feedback will help us understand if the charter is working as intended, and if there are ways the ACT Government can improve it. We will include it in our report reviewing the charter's operation, which will be published within 12 months of the review commencing.

Your feedback will also inform the ACT Government's consideration of issues from Recommendation 23 of the Sexual Assault (Police) Review Report.

Recommendation 23 outlines changes to ACT law to support other recommendations in the Sexual Assault (Police) Review Report. These changes include amendments to the Charter of Rights for Victims of Crime.

If giving your feedback is distressing or upsetting there are people who can help. You can stop the survey or exit the feedback page at any time by clicking the 'X' in the top right to close the survey page.

The following national support services are available to you:

• 1800RESPECT - the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.

Phone 1800 737 732 or chat online 24/7.

• 13YARN - an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support line, run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Phone 139 276, available 24/7.

• Lifeline - a national charity for people experiencing emotional distress with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.

Phone 13 11 14, available 24/7. Text and online chat services are available.

• Suicide Call Back Service - provides counselling for suicide prevention and mental health via telephone, online and video for anyone affected by suicidal thoughts.

Phone 1300 659 467 or chat online 24/7.

Local services are also available:

• Victim Support ACT (VSACT) - provides advocacy and counselling support to victims of ACT crimes and their families.

Phone 1800 822 722 or (02) 6205 2222, available 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday.

• Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (CRCC) - provides crisis support, counselling and advocacy services to anyone affected by sexual violence in their lives. The centre also provides specialised services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Phone (02) 6247 2525, available 7am - 11pm, 7 days a week.

• Domestic Violence Crisis Service (DVCS) - provides 24/7 crisis intervention and advocacy services to anyone living in the ACT region affected by domestic and family violence.

Phone (02) 6280 0900, available 24/7.