New federal legislation to create a Canadian Victims Bill of Rights is being welcomed by Battlefords-Lloydminster MP Gerry Ritz.
"Constituents in my riding have consistently told me that our justice system must be enhanced to better meet the needs of victims of crime, and that is exactly what this legislation delivers" said Ritz in a statement Friday.
His statement came after the announcement by Prime Minister Stephen Harper that legislation will be introduced to create a Canadian Victims Bill of Rights.
The government is touting this legislation as historic, saying it would, for the first time, create clear rights at the federal level for victims of crime.
There has been keen interest in the crime issue in Ritz's own riding, with residents and local officials in North Battleford pushing the federal government for action to address crime issues in their community.
In his statement, Ritz made it known he believes the measures in the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights will be welcomed by those impacted by crime.
"Canadians need to feel that their justice system is working for them," said Ritz. "They need to feel safe in the environment they live in, and, if they are victimized, they need to feel confident that the justice system will treat them with the courtesy, compassion and respect they deserve."
Among the highlights of the legislation mentioned in Ritz's news release are the following proposed statutory rights for victims of crime:
A right to information, where victims would have a right to general information about the criminal justice system, available victim services and programs, as well as specific information about the progress of the case. That would include information relating to the investigation, prosecution and sentencing of the individual(s) who harmed them.
A right to protection, where victims would have the right to have their security and privacy considered at all stages of the criminal justice process. Also included are reasonable and necessary measures to protect them from intimidation and retaliation, as well as protecting their identity from public disclosure.
A right to participation, where victims have the right to convey their views about decisions made by criminal justice professionals and have them considered at various stages of the criminal justice process; as well as the right to present a victim impact statement.
A right to restitution, where victims would have the right to have the court consider a restitution order for offences in which there are easy-to-calculate financial losses.
The Victims Bill of Rights comes following months of consultations and commitments made by the government in the speech from the throne as well as the federal budget. The government says many participants in the consultations expressed a desire for victims of crime to be better informed at every stage of the criminal justice process and to address the need for an increased understanding of victims needs.
The legislation is touted as being part of the Government's Plan for Safe Streets and Communities.
The government indicated in the news release they plan to fund the implementation of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights through existing resources as well as by allocating new federal resources.
