Victims' Rights Act 2002

24 Return of statements at end of proceedings

• (1) Every person who receives or makes a copy or copies of a victim impact statement during proceedings must return the copy or copies to a member of court staff as soon as practicable after the end of the proceedings.

  (2) In subsection (1), end of the proceedings, in relation to an offence,—

  • (a) means the date of disposal of all appeals (if any) against conviction of the offence, or a sentence imposed for the offence, or both, lodged by the date when the time for lodging those appeals expires; and

  • (b) if there are no rights of appeal of that kind, the date on which proceedings relating to the offence are otherwise finally determined.

  (3) Subsection (1) does not apply to—

  • (a) the victim concerned, a member of court staff, member of the police, probation officer, or prosecutor; and

  • (b) any other person (other than the offender) if the judicial officer, in his or her discretion and on an application for the purpose, orders that the other person need not return the copy or copies of the statement.