11 February 2026
An independent review of Jersey's criminal justice system has taken place as part of the Government of Jersey's work to implement the recommendations of the Taskforce on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
The review, conducted by UK Barrister Eleanor Laws KC and known as “The Laws Review", is an independent assessment of Jersey's criminal justice system in relation to the response and management of domestic abuse, rape and other sexual assault cases.
The Laws Review builds on the work of the VAWG Taskforce and puts forward 19 recommendations which aim to improve outcomes for victim-survivors, defendants and justice.
A report published by the VAWG Taskforce in November 2023, made 77 recommendations for action to address VAWG in Jersey across the Government of Jersey and other stakeholders. Recommendation 15, which was directed to the Government of Jersey stated:
'An independent review of the Jersey criminal justice system should be conducted in relation to domestic abuse, rape, and serious sexual offences to determine whether current arrangements deliver the best outcomes for victims, defendants, and justice.'
The publication of this review meets that recommendation.
The Laws Review makes a total of 19 recommendations that are designed to address areas of the criminal justice system that require improvement. Progress has already been made towards implementing a number of the recommendations.
As part of the Review, the independent reviewer Eleanor Laws KC met with a number of victim-survivors, and other stakeholders in the Jersey criminal justice system such as the States of Jersey Police, the Law Officers Department (Criminal Division) and victim support services in the island.
Recommendations in the review include:
- The police to identify a single point of contact for the complainant throughout their interaction with the criminal justice system
- victims to be permitted to read Personal Statements at the sentencing hearing
- mandatory vulnerable witness training (funded by the GoJ) for professionals working within the criminal justice system, to be completed every three years
- LOD (Criminal Division) to write to complainants and offer to meet them to explain charging decisions
- the Criminal Justice Working Group to produce and publish a revised Victim and Witness Charter
- The Criminal Justice Working Group to collate and publish data on charging and convictions
- LOD (Criminal Division) to produce and publish comprehensive Charging Guidance for offences relevant to this review including domestic abuse and sexual offences
- the Government of Jersey to work with the Bailiff to increase Royal Court capacity
Speaking about the publication of the Review, Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Deputy Mary Le Hegarat, said: “I warmly welcome the publication of this independent review, the completion of which signals the completion of one of the key recommendations of the VAWG Taskforce.
“It is essential that the journey of victim-survivors, as they navigate the criminal justice system, is as easy as possible, bearing in mind their vulnerability. I welcome and accept the recommendations of the review and am pleased to report that good progress has already been made to implement many of the recommendation and the willingness of all involved in the criminal justice system to build on the good work already happening.
“I'd like to pay tribute to everyone who has taken the time to be part of this review, but in particular, I commend the bravery of the victim-survivors who took the time be part of the review. Talking about their experiences cannot have been easy but their testimonies have been essential to improving our criminal justice system by learning from their experiences."
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