An Act Respecting Victims of Crime
An Act Respecting Victims of Crime-Victims’ Bill of Rights was proclaimed as law on June 11, 1996. The Act supports and recognizes the needs of victims of crime.
The Act includes a set of principles that guide how justice system officials should treat victims at different stages of the criminal justice process.
The principles stipulate that victims:
- are treated with courtesy, compassion and respect for their personal dignity and privacy;
- have access to information concerning services and remedies available to victims;
- have access to information about the progress of criminal investigations and prosecutions and the sentencing and interim release of offenders from custody;
- are given the opportunity to be interviewed by police officers and officials of the same gender as the victim, when that victim has been sexually assaulted;
- are entitled to have their property returned as promptly as possible by justice system officials, where the property is no longer needed for the purposes of the justice system (for example, to carry out an investigation, trial or appeal);
- have access to information about the conditional release of offenders from custody, including release on parole, temporary absence, or escape from custody;
- have access to information about plea and pre-trial arrangements and their role in the prosecution.
For the complete Victim’s Bill of Rights, see:
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/95v06
