17 October 2023

The Lord Chancellor, Alex Chalk, has confirmed plans to appoint Baroness Newlove as the government’s interim Victims’ Commissioner.

Patrick Ryan, Chief Executive of Hestia commented on the appointment:

"We welcome the appointment of a new interim Victims’ Commissioner. Baroness Newlove has been a dedicated champion of victims through her previous tenure as Victims’ Commissioner and more recently in the House of Lords.

The current Victims and Prisoners Bill passing through the Commons is a once in a generation opportunity to ensure that that the support and protection offered to all victims is strengthened throughout the criminal justice process. Every day we see the traumatic impact modern slavery can have on the children of victims. Therefore, we are calling for children of victims of modern slavery and trafficking to be explicitly recognised as victims in the Bill.

The role of the Victims’ Commissioner will be critical to this process, and we look forward to working closely with her over the next 12 months to ensure that the voices and experiences of victims are heard and taken seriously across Government.”