Agencies
The Commissioner is not part of government or other agencies in the justice system.
The Commissioner is an independent statutory officer with powers to advocate for the respect, recognition, and inclusion of victims of crime in the justice system.
Since late 2019, under the Victims of Crime Commissioner Act 2015 (VOCC Act), the Commissioner is empowered to:
- Investigate complaints made by victims about potential breaches of the Victims’ Charter by justice agencies and victims’ services.
- Report annually on compliance by justice agencies and victims’ services with the Victims’ Charter.
The Commissioner also has broader advocacy functions to influence improvements in the justice and victims’ services systems by:
- Conducting inquiries into systemic issues that affect victims of crime.
- Representing the concerns of victims to government and providing advice to the Attorney-General, the Minister for Victim Support and government departments and agencies about improvements to the justice system to meet the needs of victims of crime.
The Commissioner is committed to ensuring that victims of crime are heard and respected by justice agencies and victims’ services, and that these agencies and services understand their obligations to provide safe, inclusive and trauma‑informed responses to all victims of crime.
Guides and tools for agencies
Useful resources to help agences understand their obligations under the Victims' Charter.
Agencies and the Victims’ Charter
The Victims’ Charter sets out principles for how agencies should treat victims and their family members.
Obligations under the Victims’ Charter
The Victims’ Charter ratifies the United Nations’ Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime into Victorian Law.
Principles that apply to victims' services agencies
There are eight principles within the Victims’ Charter that apply to victims' services agencies.
Principles that apply to victims' investigation agencies
There are nine principles within the Victims’ Charter that apply to investigatory agencies.
Principles that apply to prosecution agencies
There are 18 principles within the Victims’ Charter that apply to prosecution agencies.
Assessing and investigating complaints
A victim may make a complaint about their experience with an agency to the Commissioner.
