The Wire

The NSW Court of Criminal appeal is currently considering whether victim impact statements should be taken into consideration when sentencing for homicide cases. A Victim impact statement allows the victim & direct family members to discuss the actual impact a violent crime has had on the individual. They are broadly discussed as bringing a human element into the legal process. Other common law jurisdictions use them, including the US, Canada and parts of the UK. But in Australia, NSW is the only jurisdiction that doesn’t take victim impact statements into account when sentencing for homicide matters.