What input does a victim of crime have to the courts sentencing process?
Victims of a crime have the right to give the court a written or oral Victim Impact Statement. This tells the court about the effect of the crime on their life. The court will take this into account during sentencing. Victims cannot suggest to the court a penalty or sentence. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Witness Assistance Service can advise about Victim Impact Statements. A Victim Impact Statement booklet is under ‘Victims/Witnesses/Community’ on this site.
