No Witness, No Justice
No Witness, No Justice (NWNJ) is a joint CPS / police initiative that aims to improve the experiences of prosecution victims and witnesses and ensure they are better informed, better prepared and better supported when attending court.
Through NWNJ the service provided to victims and witnesses will be tailored to meet their individual needs, so that they are able and willing to attend court, and feel more confident in doing so.
This in turn should reduce the number of trials either abandoned or adjourned, help bring more offenders to justice, improve public confidence in the criminal justice system and help reduce public spending.
This support is being provided primarily through dedicated Witness Care Units (WCUs), staffed by CPS and Police Witness Care Officers. They will provide a one stop shop information and support service to victims and witnesses from the point of charge through to case completion.
In Derbyshire we opened our first WCU, based at Derby Crown Court, in February 2005. By May 2005 we had introduced a second Unit in the north of the county, based at Chesterfield police station, to work with witnesses appearing at Buxton and Chesterfield magistrates' courts. And in October 2005 we opened our third and final Unit, based at our offices in Gower Street, which supports witnesses attending Derby and Ilkeston magistrates' courts.