Access to Justice: Historical Approaches to Victims of Crime

Dear Colleagues,

Victims were central to the detection and prosecution of crime for most of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Indeed, if it was not for the substantial activity of victims there would be little recorded crime at all before the 1830s. In many countries, newly formed police forces then took the lead in the prosecution process until their role was, in turn, supplanted by professional lawyers and state prosecution services. Despite their ‘removal’ from the courtroom, victims have remained important agents in the justice system. Today they are frequently evoked and re-imagined within media and political debates, becoming symbolic ciphers for concerns about crime and other perceived social challenges. This collection seeks contributors who will address one of three major research questions:

How has victims’ access to justice been facilitated or restricted over the past two centuries? How, and to what end, have cultural representations shaped perceptions of victims? How, why and when did victims come to shape political and criminal justice discourse and practice? Additionally, the related topics may include: Child sexual abuse victims; domestic violence victims; access to justice for victims; history of victim support; symbolic and ideal victims of crime; victims and fear of crime; victims and media representations; and victims in literature.

Prof. Pamela Cox
Prof. Barry Godfrey
Guest Editors

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