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Victim Participation: The Trial and Sentencing Process

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Victim Participation Rights

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Victims and Victimology ((PSVV))

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Abstract

While it appears that a significant number of criminal cases do not proceed to a full main trial in many jurisdictions, the debate on victim participation nevertheless seems to centre on the trial and sentencing stage. The right to be heard during the trial may be particularly important to victims as the guilt or innocence of the defendant by means of a verdict is determined at this stage of proceedings. Whether and to what extent victims are able to participate during the trial phase depends on the national justice system and its legal traditions. The victims’ role in common law systems has conventionally been that of a witness without additional legal status and respective participation rights. Yet, some civil law countries afford certain victims greater participation rights depending on their legal status in proceedings. This may include participation as a Private Accessory Prosecutor or as an applicant to the adhesion procedure/civil party procedure. After providing a brief overview of the trial structure in the respective jurisdictions, this chapter systematically assesses the right to victim participation at the trial stage in the selected adversarial and non-adversarial systems. Subsequently, it focuses on the possibility to participate during the sentencing stage in those jurisdictions which have such a separate phase.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia

    Kerstin Braun

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  1. Kerstin Braun
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Legislation and Related Sources

Legislation and Related Sources

Administration of Justice Act (Denmark), Retsplejeloven

Code de Procédure Pénale (France), Code of Criminal Procedure

Code of Practice for Victims of Crime 2013 (UK)

Crimes (Sentencing) Act 2005 (ACT)

Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW)

Criminal Law (Sentencing Act) 1988 (SA)

Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW)

Criminal Justice Act 1967 (UK)

Crime Victims’ Rights Act 2004 (US)

Lag om Målsägandebiträde (Sweden), Counsel for the Inured Party Act

Opferschutzgesetz (Germany) (Erstes Gesetz zur Verbesserung der Stellung des Verletzten im Strafverfahren), Victim Protection Act

Penalties and Sentences Act 1992 (Qld)

Rättegångsbalken (Sweden), Code of Judicial Procedure

Sentencing Act (NT)

Sentencing Act 2017 (SA)

Sentencing Act 1997 (Tas)

Sentencing Act 1991 (Vic)

Sentencing Act 1995 (WA)

Strafprozessordnung (Germany), Code of Criminal Procedure

Victims of Crime Act 2001 (SA)

Victims of Crime Assistance Act 2009 (Qld).

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Braun, K. (2019). Victim Participation: The Trial and Sentencing Process. In: Victim Participation Rights. Palgrave Studies in Victims and Victimology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04546-3_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04546-3_5

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