Before the Door Closes - July ‘26
A national commitment that puts timing, fairness and victims' voices at the heart of justice
The commitment to roll out the Crown Prosecution Service's Early Victims' Right to Review pilot nationally marks a significant moment for victims and survivors across England and Wales.
For many people, decisions made within the criminal justice system can feel distant, complex and difficult to challenge. When a case is brought to an end, the impact can be lasting. Victims are often left trying to understand what happened, why decisions were made and whether everything that could have been done was done.
My own experience taught me just how important those questions can be. More than three and a half years after reporting my rape, my case was closed just 13 days before trial. A later independent review concluded that it should have proceeded. By then, however, it was too late for anything to change. While that review provided answers, it could not restore the opportunity already lost: the opportunity for justice.
That is why this pilot matters.
It recognises a simple but important principle: if a decision is going to be reviewed, that review is most meaningful when there is still an opportunity to act on what is found.
The Victims' Right to Review has long provided an important safeguard, but this pilot goes a step further by allowing reconsideration of decisions before a case is formally brought to an end. It acknowledges that timing matters and that victims deserve a meaningful voice at one of the most critical stages of the process.
What is particularly encouraging is the journey that has led to this moment. Meaningful change rarely happens overnight. This pilot began in one region, expanded to others, and has now reached the point where there is a commitment to rolling it out nationally. That progress reflects what can be achieved when institutions are willing to listen, learn and respond to the experiences of those who have navigated the justice system firsthand.
Announcing the national rollout, Solicitor General Ellie Reeves said the scheme is designed to give victims greater control by allowing decisions to stop rape and serious sexual assault cases to be independently reviewed by a second specialist prosecutor before they become final. She also recognised the role that campaigning by victims and survivors has played in bringing about this reform, noting that the pilot has already enabled cases that would otherwise have been closed to continue.
The rollout will not solve every challenge facing victims and survivors. Confidence in the justice system is shaped by many factors, including delays, communication, support and outcomes. But practical reforms matter. They improve experiences, strengthen trust and help ensure that when errors occur, there is a meaningful opportunity to address them before it is too late.
For me, this announcement is about more than expanding a pilot. It is about recognising that victims deserve more than answers after the fact. They deserve the opportunity to be heard when it can still make a difference.
Sometimes, the difference between a case continuing and a case being lost forever comes down to timing. The commitment to roll out the Early Victims' Right to Review scheme nationally is an important recognition of that reality, and a positive step towards a fairer, more responsive justice system for victims and survivors.
