Background
14.The purpose of the Act is to establish more effective, transparent and responsive justice and coroner services for victims, witnesses, bereaved families and the wider public. It seeks to achieve this by:
	updating parts of the criminal law to improve its clarity, fairness and effectiveness;
	giving vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, including those in respect of gun and gang related violence, improved protection, from the early stages of the criminal justice process;
	introducing a more consistent and transparent sentencing framework;
	improving the service bereaved families receive from a reformed coroner system;
	giving those who are suddenly or unexpectedly bereaved opportunities to participate in coroners’ investigations, including rights to information and access to a straightforward appeals system; and
	putting in place a unified system of death certification that includes independent scrutiny and confirmation of the causes of death given on death certificates.
15.In addition, the Act will confer stronger inspection powers on the Information Commissioner to improve the way that personal data is held and used.