Towards National Rollout - June 2026
Solicitor General Ellie Reeves has reaffirmed her commitment to a national rollout of the Victims' Right to Review pilot by the end of the summer
We're encouraged to hear that Solicitor General Ellie Reeves has reaffirmed her commitment to a national rollout of the Victims' Right to Review (VRR) pilot by the end of the summer.
The pilot gives victims the opportunity for a second prosecutor to review a decision before a rape prosecution is dropped. It is a simple but important safeguard that helps ensure victims are treated with fairness, dignity and are heard.
For the Right to Be Reviewed campaign, this represents real progress.
The pilot was introduced following years of campaigning by survivors and campaigners who highlighted a gap in the justice system: too often, victims only discovered a decision was wrong after their case had already been closed and could no longer be revived. The pilot seeks to address that by creating an opportunity for review before that final step is taken.
We have always believed that victims deserve the opportunity to be heard before decisions are made that could bring their pursuit of justice to an end. The growing support for national rollout is a positive sign that this principle is gaining recognition across the justice system.
Alongside the pilot, there remains a broader conversation about ensuring the Victims' Right to Review has a meaningful remedy in the small number of cases where mistakes are identified after proceedings have been brought to an end. This includes consideration of wider reforms to Crown Court discontinuance powers, which campaigners believe could help address some of the remaining gaps in the current system.
For now, our focus remains clear: securing a permanent, national Victims' Right to Review scheme so that every rape victim has access to the same safeguard, regardless of where they live.
The momentum is building. The principle is simple. If a decision could end a victim's pursuit of justice, they should have the opportunity to be heard before that decision becomes final.
