The CCRC investigates possible miscarriages of justice and sends some cases back to the appeal courts. We recognise that in most cases where there has been a crime, there will be a victim of crime.
The Commission takes very seriously its responsibilities to victims of crime or to the families of victims. We will always think carefully about how and when we should contact victims or their families to let them know that we have become involved in their case.
We will always try to inform a victim or their family if we are referring a case for appeal. We will try to do that, usually through a local police contact, before we refer the case to the court so that the person hears it from us first and does not find out about it from anyone else.
We will not usually try to contact the victim in a case just because we have received an application in relation to the conviction. This is because in most cases our involvement will not lead to an appeal and there is no need to warn the victim that the convicted person has applied to us. However, we will tell the victim if we think there is a reasonable chance that they may find out that we are looking at a case though the media or through another source.