The victim in the Irish criminal process

Book excerpt: Concern for crime victims has been a growing political issue in improving the legitimacy and success of the criminal justice system through the rhetoric of rights. Since the 1970s there have been numerous reforms and policy documents produced to enhance victims’ satisfaction in the criminal justice system. The Republic of Ireland has seen a sea-change in more recent years from a focus on services for victims to a greater emphasis on procedural rights. The purpose of this book is to chart these reforms against the backdrop of wider political and regional changes emanating from the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights, and to critically examine whether the position of crime victims has actually ameliorated. The book discusses the historical and theoretical concern for crime victims in the criminal justice system, examins the variety of forms of legal and service provision inclusion, amd concludes by analysing the various needs of victims which continue to be unmet.