The VRR Pilot Expands - Jan ‘26
A phased, evidence-led approach to earlier review
The expansion of the Victims’ Right to Review (VRR) pilot is an encouraging step forward, reflecting steady progress in how decisions in rape and serious sexual offence cases are being handled.
Following the initial pilot in the West Midlands, the CPS has confirmed that the scheme will now be expanded to further areas. As a pilot, it gives victims the option to request an independent review before a final decision to stop proceedings is made. This earlier opportunity to challenge a decision is being tested because it occurs when cases are still live, and outcomes can still change.
Under the original system, the Right to Review often came too late. Decisions could be examined, but not reversed. Survivors were left with apologies, but without agency. The pilot is designed to test whether earlier scrutiny can lead to fairer decision-making and greater confidence in the process.
Early learning from the West Midlands suggests that timing matters. Survivors who engaged with the pilot reported that simply having the option of an earlier review made a positive difference. It is an opportunity to change how the process feels, offering reassurance that decisions are being properly considered rather than closed off without challenge.
This reflects a wider point raised consistently by survivors and campaigners: justice systems must allow challenge at the point decisions are made, not only reflection afterwards.
From lived experience, many survivors know how final a decision can feel when a case is stopped, even when important questions remain. In some cases, later reviews have found that prosecutions should have gone forward, but too late to change the outcome. The VRR pilot does not undo those experiences, but it does test a different approach for the future.
Testing this right through an expanding pilot is an important step forward. It gives victims greater agency at a crucial stage and helps build confidence in the justice system. The phased, evidence-led approach reflects constructive engagement and a willingness to learn from what is working in practice.
It is important to be clear that this remains a pilot. Expansion allows further learning before decisions are made about permanence. At Make Yourself Heard, and through our Right to Be Reviewed campaign, we continue to emphasise that pilots must lead to clear conclusions, informed by evidence and lived experience.
This expansion demonstrates progress, with learning from lived experience beginning to shape how the justice system responds. The task now is to ensure this right is strengthened, protected, and delivered nationally.
#RightToBeReviewed #MakeYourselfHeard
There’s still time to support the campaign to make the Victims’ Right to Review a permanent, national right.
You can help by writing to your MP, sharing why this reform matters, and following our campaign for updates and resources at @MYH_ldn - see links below
