From Citizens to Private Entities

Abstract This chapter focuses on another development in England and Wales, namely, the enactment of the Victims’ Right to Review Scheme (VRRS) in 2013, which has shaped the role of victims as agents of state accountability by contributing to the privatization of interests and accountability. It begins with an overview of the VRRS as an internal review mechanism within the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS), which was initially proposed by the court as a means to form a more accessible process of substantive review—similar to judicial review and its conception of victims as potential holders of public interests. It then discusses the increasing restrictions that the CPS has placed on the implementation of the VRRS, along with judicial interpretation that has confirmed these restrictions and contributed to the privatization of victim interests. Finally, the chapter discusses the impact that the VRRS has had on the evolution of judicial review.