23.Section 2 provides that the Commissioner’s general function is to promote and support the rights and interests of victims and witnesses. Definitions of “victims” and “witnesses”, for the purposes of this part of the Act, are included in section 25.
24.Subsection (2) imposes on the Commissioner a duty to carry out certain specific activities in order to achieve that general function. The activities include engagement with relevant persons, raising awareness, including in relation to the Victims’ Charter, monitoring compliance with statutory duties, considering the provision of information under the victim notification scheme and the making of representations by victims, promoting best practice, especially by criminal justice bodies in relation to trauma-informed practice, and producing research. A definition of “criminal justice body”, for the purposes of this Part of the Act, is included at section 25. The criminal justice bodies are the Lord Advocate, the Scottish Ministers, the chief constable of the Police Service of Scotland, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, and the Parole Board for Scotland.
Crown Application Functions and powers Section 2 – functions