More than six months’ after Baroness Helen Newlove’s death, her final annual report as victims’ commissioner has been published – with her successor writing to the lord chancellor that victims’ rights ‘still exist only on paper’.

Claire Waxman was appointed commissioner in September 2025 and formally took up the post in January this year. In a letter to deputy prime minister David Lammy published alongside the commissioner’s annual report, Waxman paid tribute to Newlove, who died in November. She said the report served ‘as a moment to reflect on the breadth of her work, her achievements, and the lasting impact she has had’, describing Newlove as a ‘force for real change’.

Waxman added: ‘For Helen, the rights under the victims’ code were not a set of aspirations. They were a promise that had to be kept: respectful treatment, clear and timely information, and access to appropriate support. These are essential if victims are to understand what is happening, make informed choices, and remain engaged with the justice process.’

While the report acknowledges that the commissioner role now has statutory powers to fulfil the its original mandate, Waxman highlights a lack of governmental progress has left a lacuna for criminal justice organisations to ensure they are complying with their obligations.

Referring to the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 which sets out a ‘victims’ code’, Waxman said: ‘Two years on there remains no framework for measuring how criminal justice agencies comply with their obligations under the victims’ code. There is still no clear, consistent understanding of what data can be collected, or when.’

Claire Waxman

Waxman: ‘For Helen, the rights under the victims’ code were not a set of aspirations. They were a promise that had to be kept'

Source: Alamy 

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Citing feedback that the code is ‘toothless’, Waxman highlighted a ‘real risk’ that by the end of her term as commissioner she ‘will still not have the tools required to fulfil my statutory duties’.

She added: ‘Until the government puts those systems into operation, victims will continue to face a gap between the rights they are promised and the support they receive, with limited recourse to put things right.

‘If we are to honour Baroness Newlove’s legacy and realise the full intent of the legislation she worked so hard to secure, we must ensure that the foundations for accountability are in place without further delay.’