The Victims’ Commissioner role is to promote the interests of victims and witnesses; encourage good practice in the treatment of victims and witnesses; and keep under review the operation of the Code of Practice for Victims.

Baroness Helen Newlove

Baroness Helen Newlove served two three-years terms as the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, from 2013 to 2019. She became a campaigner after her husband, Garry Newlove, was murdered by several youths in 2007.

Baroness Newlove published a report on RJ in 2014 and in 2016 issued a review of restorative justice, consisting of two parts:

Part 1 of the review examines and assesses the quality of service RJ providers are delivering;

Part 2 focuses on victims’ experiences of RJ services.

She appeared on Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4 on 22 July 2018 with a repeat at 09:00 on 27 July. This is available here.

Dame Vera Baird

Dame Vera Baird became Victims’ Commissioner in June (3) 2019. Previous to that she was the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner. She had earlier been a Labour MP, a barrister involved in many high-profile cases and an academic.

On 19 August 2019 she published a Strategic Plan for 2019 – 2022. It did not mention Restorative Justice.