Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Criminal Procedure Rules definition

What does Criminal Procedure Rules mean? Criminal Procedure rules (CrimPR) set out how criminal cases are managed and conducted in England and Wales, from first appearance in the magistrates’ court through trial, sentence and appeal. They are a statutory code made by the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee under section 69 of the Courts Act 2003 and are supplemented by the Criminal practice Directions. The Rules apply in the magistrates’ courts, the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), and to extradition proceedings, including appeals in the High Court (Administrative Court). Key features include the overriding objective (dealing with cases justly), active...

Victim Personal Statements: Procedural, Evidential and Sentencing Framework, including Business and Community Impact Statements (England and Wales)

Published by a LexisNexis Corporate Crime expert

Practice notes

Victim personal statements—guidance

Guidance on preparing, the form and the use of a victim personal statement (VPS), sometimes called a victim impact statement, can be found in several places, including:

Criminal Practice Directions (CPD)
the Joint Agency Guide to the Victim Personal Statement
the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (Victims’ Code)
the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforcement guide on VPS
the Ministry of Justice Guidance to victims: Making a Victim Personal Statement

Practitioners should consider these materials when advising on a VPS.

Victim personal statements—what are they?

A VPS is a statement by the victim of crime setting out the effect the offence has had on them or, if the victim has died, the impact on surviving family members. It has two primary aims:

to offer victims a formal opportunity to describe, in their own words, how a crime has affected them physically, emotionally, financially or in any other respect
to help the court and prosecution authorities to identify the support or services a victim or the victim’s family may require

Their purpose is to provide victims with a more structured chance to explain how they have been...

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Web page updated on 22/05/2026

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