§ Mr. CartwrightTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about enabling the families of murder victims to be legally represented in court during trials; and what has been his response.
§ Mr. John Patten[holding answer 20 February 1990]: We are acutely conscious of the sense of grievance felt by the families of some murder victims that they have no opportunity to be heard in court. Entitling the victim's family to be represented at the trial would mean fundamental changes of principle and practice in how criminal proceedings are brought and conducted, and would need careful consideration. There may be other mechanisms for ensuring that the views of families in murder cases and of victims themselves in other cases are taken properly into account. These are difficult issues on which the Government are inviting views in their victims charter published yesterday.