England and Wales · Scotland · Northern Ireland
Justice depends on witnesses. Support for them depends on which witness you are.
A victim, a bystander, a defence witness and a witness in a civil claim can all be asked to do the same hard thing. They are not offered the same help. We signpost what exists, and we campaign to close the gaps.
I have been asked to give evidence
Find who can support you, by nation and by kind of case. Plain information, no sign-up.
Find supportI work in or around the justice system
For MPs, MSPs, MLAs and Members of the Senedd, officials, journalists, solicitors and barristers: the gaps, the evidence and five asks.
Read the case for changeWhat the official figures say
A system this stretched cannot afford to lose its witnesses
-
80,829
cases open in the Crown Court in England and Wales at the end of June 2026, the highest on record.
Ministry of Justice E01
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25%
of Crown Court trials in April to June 2026 did not go ahead on the day and had to be rescheduled. Another 31% cracked.
Ministry of Justice E02
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3,323
prosecutions stopped after charge in three months because the victim no longer supported, or could not support, the case.
Crown Prosecution Service E13
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2013
the year the Witness Charter, the document that sets standards for witnesses who are not victims, was last updated.
Ministry of Justice E05
These figures describe the pressure on the system. They do not, on their own, show what better witness support would change. Read what we do and do not claim.
The gap map
Who gets what, by witness and by nation
Our working map of witness support across the UK. It is incomplete, and we say where.
- In place
- Partial
- None found
- Not yet mapped
| Witness | England and Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victim giving evidence in a criminal case | In place Rights under the Victims' Code, a witness care officer, and the Witness Service at court. E04 E06 E08 |
Partial Victim Information and Advice for those the prosecution service refers, plus Victim Support Scotland. E26 |
In place A named case officer in the Victim and Witness Care Unit, plus the Witness Service or Young Witness Service. E21 E22 |
| Prosecution witness who is not a victim | Partial A witness care officer and the Witness Service, but no rights under the Victims' Code. Covered instead by a Witness Charter last updated in 2013. E04 E05 |
Partial First contact is the Procurator Fiscal who cited you. Extra support depends on referral. E26 |
In place Victim and Witness Care Unit and the witness services. E21 E22 |
| Defence witness in a criminal case | Partial No witness care officer. Official guidance sends you to the defence lawyer for dates, travel, video links and interpreters. The Witness Service is open to you. E06 E08 |
Partial First contact is the defence lawyer who cited you. We have not yet confirmed what court-based support is open to defence witnesses. E26 |
None found Official guidance describes the witness services as being for prosecution witnesses. We found no route described as open to defence witnesses. E21 |
| Witness in a civil case | None found No national witness support service found. The court has a duty to take proportionate measures for vulnerable witnesses, but someone has to ask. E18 |
Not yet mapped We are still mapping this. |
Not yet mapped We are still mapping this. |
| Witness in a family case or a tribunal | None found No national witness support service found. Judicial guidance on vulnerable witnesses exists for employment tribunals. |
Not yet mapped We are still mapping this. |
Not yet mapped We are still mapping this. |
| Witness at an inquest or fatal accident inquiry | Not yet mapped We are still mapping this. |
Not yet mapped We are still mapping this. |
Not yet mapped We are still mapping this. |
| Expert or professional witness | Not yet mapped We are still mapping this. |
Not yet mapped We are still mapping this. |
Not yet mapped We are still mapping this. |
"None found" means we looked and found no national service described as open to that witness. It does not prove none exists. If we have missed one, tell us and we will correct the map.
Latest
Updates
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The government's guide for witnesses still names the wrong provider
Seven months after the Witness Service moved to Victim Support, GOV.UK still sends witnesses outside London to Citizens Advice.
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Why we started Every Witness
Witness support in the UK depends on which witness you are. This site maps what exists, signposts it and campaigns to close the gaps.