APCC Chair Response to Secretary of State for Justice Letter
APCC Chair Response to Letter from Rt. Hon. David Lidington MP, Secretary of State for Justice:
As Chair of the APCC, I was pleased to receive a reply from the Secretary of State for Justice in response to a letter sent to him by my predecessor Dame Vera Baird QC regarding ways that PCCs can engage with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in their areas in order to drive improvements.
As Lead of the Criminal Justice Portfolio Group at the APCC, I have frequently emphasised to senior ministers the need for PCCs to play a more formal role in overseeing the CJS locally, therefore I was heartened to read the Secretary of State’s assurances that officials in the MoJ are working with their counterparts – both at the APCC and the Home Office – to take forward our case for PCCs using their position to provide greater leadership and accountability to the whole system.
I was additionally heartened to read that Mr Lidington has asked his officials to continue to work closely with PCCs, as the Ministry develops its plans to ensure that leaders across the CJS keep on providing victims of crime with the best possible service.
I look forward to fostering this collaborative relationship between the APCC and the MoJ going forward, as we work together to ensure that in the CJS nationwide, the needs of victims of crime are put first.