Pilot allows victims to challenge ‘no evidence’ decisions before a formal verdict is entered
The Solicitor General has announced a significant expansion of the expedited Victim’s Right to Review (VRR) scheme, a procedural reform designed to prevent rape and serious sexual assault cases from being discontinued in court without independent scrutiny.
Ellie Reeves MP confirmed today that the pilot, which introduces a mandatory “pause” before a prosecutor can offer no evidence, will extend to CPS North West this month, followed by CPS Yorkshire and Humberside in February and CPS Cymru-Wales in April. The move follows a six-month trial in the West Midlands which, according to the CPS, successfully bolstered victim confidence despite low uptake.
Closing the ‘Acquittal Trap’ The pilot addresses a long-standing procedural anomaly. Under the standard VRR scheme, victims have the right to review a decision not to charge. However, once proceedings have commenced, a prosecutor’s decision to offer no evidence results in an immediate formal acquittal, leaving the victim with no legal remedy other than an apology.
The expedited pilot fundamentally alters this sequence. If a prosecutor forms a provisional view that there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction, they cannot immediately withdraw the case. Instead, they must notify the victim, who then has the opportunity to request an urgent review by a second prosecutor. If that review disagrees with the initial assessment, the prosecution proceeds, ensuring that viable cases are not lost to premature decision-making.
Pilot Data and Feedback Data from the initial West Midlands pilot, launched in June 2025, reveals that while only four cases triggered the mechanism and only one review was requested the feedback from survivors was overwhelmingly positive. Participants reported that the existence of the safeguard gave them a sense of control and “fairness” that the previous system lacked.
Siobhan Blake, National CPS Lead for Rape and Serious Sexual Offences, emphasised the necessity of the reform for public trust. “Victims deserve absolute confidence that every decision is made with care and expertise,” she said. “When we don’t [get it right] and a case that could have continued is stopped an apology alone can never feel like justice.”
Stakeholder Response The expansion has been welcomed by legal campaigners and the Victims’ Commissioner, Claire Waxman OBE, who described the previous lack of recourse as a “justice gap.” However, Waxman continues to push for the right to be enshrined in primary legislation to ensure it becomes a permanent feature of the criminal justice landscape.
For practitioners in the North West and Yorkshire, the rollout will require immediate adjustments to case management strategies, particularly regarding the timing of discontinuance decisions and client communication protocols.