The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and Europe and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (December 2011) |
Rights |
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Theoretical distinctions |
Human rights |
Rights by beneficiary |
Other groups of rights |
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Victims' rights are generally defined as legal entitlements afforded to victims of crime. They vary according to the legal jurisdiction within which they are applied and are dependent on several variants including societal, cultural, political, socio-economic and geographical.[1] Victims's rights belong to the public law sphere, and relate to criminal justice proceedings, constitutional law and restorative justice. Victims' rights are aligned with human rights law.
Examples include the right to restitution, the right to a victims' advocate, and the right not to be excluded from criminal justice proceedings.[2][3] A key principle underlying victims' rights is the need to avoid secondary victimisation in their implementation particularly when victims' are called to take a role in criminal justice proceedings.