Deck 30: Victims, Witnesses and the Criminal Justice System

Question 1

Which of the following best describes an 'ideal victim'?

A) Those refused the status of being a victim because they are perceived as vulnerable, defenceless and clearly innocent
B) Those readily given the legitimate status of being a victim because they are perceived as vulnerable, defenceless and clearly innocent
C) A victim who suffers in silence and refrains from attempting to gather sympathy or publicly displaying weakness
D) Those readily given the legitimate status of being a victim because they are perceived as tough and involved with the offender in some way

Answer 1

B

Question 2

How is a witness defined by the Crown Prosecution Service?

A) A person who states what they know outside of court to a solicitor
B) A person who has been a victim of a crime
C) A person who is meets the requirements for being considered vulnerable or intimidated
D) A person who stands up in court to state what they know after taking an oath, to tell the truth

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Under which of the following circumstances would someone NOT be considered a Vulnerable or Intimidated Witness?

A) The witness is suffering from a mental health disorder
B) The witness is under 18
C) The witness has a physical disability or disorder
D) The witness has no impairment of intelligence and social function

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a current criticism of a victim's role in the criminal justice system in England and Wales?

A) Victims are supported through external voluntary organisations
B) Vulnerable and intimidated victim special measures are often poorly employed
C) The role is reduced to a witness as part of a case brought in the public interest.
D) It is considered secondary to the conflict between the offender and the crown

Question 5

Why is a Victim Personal Statement considered positive and/or important?

A) It may affect the objectivity of the court
B) All victims want to give a statement
C) It gives a victim a voice in the courtroom beyond their witness role
D) It is very often not offered to witnesses

Question 6

What is meant by 'Attrition' in the context of the criminal justice system and court cases?

A) The process of how court cases proceed
B) The process whereby cases and complainants 'drop out' of the legal process
C) The process of further harm caused to the victims of crime in court
D) The process of insensitive questioning by police

Question 7

According to Wolhuter et al (2009) what are the two main systematic problems that often result in secondary victimisation for victims of crime?

A) Institutional culture and the common law adversarial system
B) Institutional culture and the civil law adversarial system
C) The common law adversarial system and societal culture in the UK
D) Social pressure from media and the civil law adversarial system

Question 8

How does the common law adversarial system contribute to experiences of secondary victimisation?

A) It allows the victim to testify on their own terms and be central to the criminal justice process
B) It used the principles of orality and repositions the victim as a witness and the crime as against the state
C) It has a crime-control focus on catching criminals and obtaining convictions, meaning that the needs of victims are side-lined
D) It is focused on achieving justice for victims

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT one of the issues associated with witness protection as provided by the UK Protected Persons Service (UKPPS)?

A) It aims to provide protection to people judged to be at risk of serious harm
B) Those on witness protection have aired concerns about their safety
C) There is little public knowledge about witness protection in the UK
D) It can be very traumatic for those involved in it

Question 10

Which of the following best describes the concept of the 'true victim'?

A) Those refused the status of being a victim because they are perceived as vulnerable, defenceless and clearly innocent
B) Those readily given the legitimate status of being a victim because they are perceived as vulnerable, defenceless and clearly innocent
C) A victim who suffers in silence and refrains from attempting to gather sympathy or publicly displaying weakness
D) Those readily given the legitimate status of being a victim because they are perceived as tough and involved with the offender in some way