A year on from its launch in the West Midlands in June 2025, the Early Victims’ Right to Review (VRR) scheme is now being rolled out to every CPS Area across England and Wales from 13July 2026, the Solicitor General, Ellie Reeves KC MP, has confirmed.
Following the successful expansion across four CPS Areas, West Midlands, North West, Yorkshire and Humberside, and Cymru-Wales, the national rollout marks the next step in transforming how the justice system treats victims of rape and serious sexual offences.
The national rollout gives victims of rape or serious sexual abuse the right for their case to be reviewed by a different prosecutor before any final decision is made, meaning the chance to continue proceedings is still available. If that prosecutor disagrees with the original decision, the case will continue.
The national rollout follows positive feedback from victims who have been involved in the pilot. This includes those who did not ultimately request a review, who said they valued having the opportunity for their case to be reconsidered before a final decision was reached.
The scheme forms a central part of the government’s Violence Against Women and Girls strategy, which sets out its commitment to halve VAWG within a decade.
Solicitor General Ellie Reeves KC MP said
Rape and sexual assault cause devastating, long-lasting harm, and every brave victim who comes forward deserves to know their case will be treated with dignity.
Violence against women and girls is my top priority, and the Early Victims’ Right to Review rollout is a landmark moment.
For the first time, victims of rape and serious sexual offences across all of England and Wales will have the opportunity to have their case reviewed, where eligible, giving them a second chance at justice and real control at the most critical point in their case.
This government is determined to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, and ensuring victims are given fairness, dignity and a genuine voice in the justice system is central to that mission.
Siobhan Blake, National CPS Lead for Rape and Serious Sexual Offences, said
For survivors of rape and sexual offences, the possibility their abuser may never face justice can be deeply distressing.
Victims must have confidence that every decision is made with care and expertise. Our specialist prosecutors usually get it right first time, but when we don’t – and a case that could have continued is stopped – an apology alone cannot feel like justice.
Some victims in the pilot have told us that simply having this option makes a positive difference, and two cases continuing shows the impact it can have.
Expanding the pilot will help us better understand how to support victims and ensure the right decisions are made.
Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott said
The Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) commitment to roll out the early Victims’ Right to Review pilot nationally is a landmark moment for victims and survivors.
For many victims, the decision to end a case can feel final, leaving unanswered questions and few opportunities to challenge the outcome. My own experience showed me how devastating it can be when a review comes too late to make a difference, even when mistakes are later identified.
This pilot recognises that victims deserve the opportunity to have decisions reconsidered before they become final. I am incredibly encouraged to see the CPS commit to rolling this pilot out nationally. It shows that when victims are given the opportunity to be heard, their experiences can help shape a fairer and more responsive justice system for others.
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The Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman OBE said
It is fantastic to see the CPS listening and responding to victims’ experiences, and my thanks go to Jade Blue McCrossen-Nethercott for tirelessly campaigning for this vital progress.
Expanding this pilot across the country means that fewer victims of rape and sexual offences will be unfairly denied justice, ensuring they have the opportunity to challenge a decision before it is final.
