The urgent need for Josh’s Law to improve the rights of victims and their families, was debated at a Westminster parliamentary event held in November 2025 by The Josh Hanson Trust.
At present, offenders of serious violent crimes have more rights than their victims, as they can appeal against their sentence at any time. Josh’s Law would ensure all victims are made aware of their right to appeal unduly lenient sentences at the time of sentencing and would permit victims to appeal outside the current 28-day period in ‘exceptional circumstances’.
The prestigious round table discussion included legal and victim support experts. They were:
- Tracey Hanson, CEO of The Josh Hanson Trust
- Claire Waxam OBE, Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales
- Prof. Simon Harding – Director of Criminology Services Ltd
- Dr Liz Hardie, Director of SCiLAB (the Scholarship Centre for Innovation in online Legal and Business Education) for the Faculty of Business and Law, Open University.
“We are very grateful to Blake Stephenson MP for sponsoring this event and to all those who
attended to discuss this vital issue. Raising awareness and support for victims’ rights is vital if they are to be represented fairly and equally in the criminal justice system.,” said Tracey Hanson.
The panel at the House of Commons pictured l to r: Dr Liz Hardie, Claire Waxam, Tracey Hanson, Blake Stephenson MP and Professor Simon Harding.
