Victim Observers – National roll-out on 1 April 2025
Source: gov.uk (2025-03-31)

As of today, victim observation of oral hearings will be rolled out across all regions of England and Wales.

The Parole Board is committed to treating victims and survivors with humanity and respect.

We are pleased to confirm that today the ability for victims and survivors to apply to observe a Parole Board oral hearing will be rolled out nationally, across England and Wales, after a robust pilot in two probation regions.

Since the pilot launched in late 2022, 59 hearings were observed by victims and survivors. The pilot has allowed us to develop the approach with our stakeholders based on the victim experience.

Victims and survivors across England and Wales will now have the important right to apply to the Parole Board to observe a private oral hearing. We greatly value victim and survivor participation in the parole process though we recognise that it has the potential to be daunting and can be a difficult process to navigate. The opportunity to observe a parole hearing provides victims and survivors with access to vital information about the prisoner and how parole panels assess their risk.

Cecilia French, CEO of the Parole Board said:

“I understand just how important access to information is to victims and survivors. This is a crucial step towards achieving this and will play a part in our wider objective of achieving greater transparency of parole, while ensuring the process remains fair and effective”.

The Parole Board is an independent body that carries out risk assessments on prisoners to determine whether they can be safely released into the community. Over 300 independent Parole Board members, who are experts in risk assessment, make these decisions. Although panels are keenly interested in the impact of the offence on the victims and/or survivors, they legally play no role in the punitive element of a sentence. Our role is not to determine whether the punishment imposed by the court is appropriate; our sole focus is to assess risk of reoffending which may cause serious harm.

It is hoped by providing victims and survivors with the opportunity to observe parole proceedings, they will have a greater understanding of our remit and why we make the decisions that we do. Additionally, we hope that they will be reassured by how robust the process is, and how seriously the Parole Board carries out its role of protecting the public.

Joanne Early, CEO of Support After Murder and Manslaughter (SAMM) said:

'’The national roll out of victim observations at parole hearings is a positive development for victims of crime and families bereaved by homicide. The criminal justice system is often seen to favour the rights of an offender more than a victim. This scheme works towards re dressing the balance and giving parity to victims.

By allowing bereaved families access to previously confidential information it gives them greater transparency and confidence into how the parole board makes decisions about an offender’s risk to the public.’’

It is important to us that victims and survivors are aware of their rights. The following page summarises Our Commitment to Victims of Crime (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-parole-boards-commitment-to-victims-of-crime#victim-personal-statements) including how victims and survivors can apply to observe a private oral hearing. In Spring of this year we will be launching a new leaflet and video to assist victims and survivors to understand what they are entitled to and how they can access those entitlements.