SUMMARY - Who Speaks for Victims in Court and Policy?
Crime affects not just abstract statistics but real people—victims whose lives are disrupted, damaged, or destroyed by others' actions. Yet the criminal justice system was designed primarily to determine guilt and impose punishment, not to address victims' needs or amplify their voices. In recent decades, Canada has made significant strides toward recognizing victims' rights, but fundamental questions remain about who truly speaks for victims in courts and in the policy debates that shape how our society responds to crime.