Fiefs and Peasants: Accomplishing Change for Victims in the Criminal Justice System (From Victims of Crime: A New Deal?, P 187-194, 1988, Mike Maguire and John Pointing, eds. -- See NCJ-113954)

• NCJ Number: 113972
• Author(s): J Shapland
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 8 pages
• Sale Source: Open University Press
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

Change in the British criminal justice system for the benefit of crime victims requires that the criminal justice agencies, which may be characterized as independent 'fiefs' under a feudal system, learn to work together in coordinating a comprehensive package of victim services.

Abstract

As 'fiefs,' each criminal justice agency retains power over its own jurisdiction and is jealous of its own workload and independence. It will not easily tolerate (or in some cases even permit) comments from other agencies about the way it conducts its business. Crime victims must deal with each of the 'fiefs' separately to obtain appropriate victim services related to the 'fief's' jurisdiction. If victims are to benefit from a comprehensive package of services, some justifiable rights for victims and legally enforceable duties for various criminal justice agencies must be enacted. These must be implemented through training and codes of practice which bridge the gaps between the 'fiefs' involved. Should the 'fiefs' not be willing to accept or implement such mandates for victim services, a 'fief' for victims will likely emerge to establish an adversarial relationship to the criminal justice 'fiefs.' This would probably have the undesirable effect of undermining offenders' rights.