Justice isn’t supposed to make a victim ‘feel better’, Damian Green

Coming next month to a courtroom near you: a bewildered young man, freshly convicted, trembles in the dock while awaiting his fate. But just before sentencing, a weeping widow stands, turns welling blue eyes to the bench and beseeches His Honour: ‘I cannot forgive him for his part in my husband’s death. My life is ruined. I beg you to punish him to the maximum.’ Murmurs of assent are shushed in the public gallery. ‘Well,’ says the judge, ‘I had planned leniency, in light of the coercion from older bullies and his mental age of six. However, since you ask so nicely — Officer! Take him down and throw away the darned key!’ And the gallery erupts in applause.

All right… hands up to a smidge of exaggeration. But only a smidge. An adjustment to court procedure, proudly announced last week by the policing and victims minister Damian Green, is designed not only actively to include victims of crime in a trial but, he hopes, in some cases to ensure that their inclusion will lead to tougher sentences.