Note
Issued also in French under title: Le rôle de la victime au sein du processus judiciaire : une analyse bibliographique - 1989 à 1999.
Author affiliated with: Osgoode Hall Law School.
"Policy Centre for Victims Issues"--Title page.
"Research and Statistics Division"--Title page.
"August 2001"--Title page.
Summary
"The literature on victims’ rights in the 1990s paints a picture of an exponential growth in the ‘victim industry’ with little indication of progress being made in ameliorating the plight of the victim. A recurring theme in the literature has been the symbolic endorsement of the concept of empowering victims while, at a practical level, legal professionals develop strategies to neutralize the symbolic gains achieved at the political level. True victim participation will require structural reform of the adversarial system, and structural reform is threatening to the vested interests of legal professionals. Nothing constructive can be accomplished until the political objectives of the movement are co-ordinated with the constraints of an adversarial criminal process."--Page 65.
Contents
1. Introduction -- 1.1. Purpose of the report -- 1.1.1. Scope of inquiry -- 1.2. Sources of information -- 1.3. Victimological concerns and victims’ rights -- 2. History and theory -- 2.1. Introduction -- 2.2. Discussion -- 3.2.1. Federal initiatives -- 3.2.1.1. Restitution -- 3.2.1.2. Victim surcharge -- 3.2.1.3. Victim impact statements and sentencing reform -- 3.2.1.4. Victims of violence -- 3.2.2. Provincial initiatives -- 3.2.2.1. Victims’ bills of rights -- 3.2.2.2. Victim witness assistance -- 3.2.2.3. Compensation -- 4. Victims' rights around the world -- 4.1. Introduction -- 4.2. Discussion -- 4.2.1. The American experience -- 4.2.1.1. Participatory rights in America -- 4.2.1.2. Welfare rights -- 4.2.1.3. A note on compensation --
4.2.2 The European Experience --
4.2.3 The Commonwealth Experience -- 5. Social science perspectives, mediation and victim satisfaction --
5.1. Introduction --
5.2. Discussion --
5.2.1. Psychological perspectives and the role
of health care workers --
5.2.2. Mediation and restorative justice -- 6. Concluding remarks -- Appendix A. List of cases.