When the court case ends

When a court case ends, victims often expect this means their involvement with the justice system is over. However, there are several ways that you can find yourself still involved.
 

• The prosecutor or the defendant may choose to lodge an appeal (See What’s an appeal? )

• You may want to have a copy of some of the court documents related to the court case.

• The judge may have ordered the offender to pay you reparations for the harm or damage they caused.

• You might want to be kept up to date with what’s happening to the offender as they move through the justice system and so apply to go onto the Victim Notification Register. (See Keeping informed Victim Notification Register)

• When the offender is being considered for parole you might want to make a submission to the New Zealand Parole Board. (See our full section on The Parole Board and their role)

• The media may continue to report about your case (See our guide to Managing media interest).

A helpful video
This video by the Ministry of Justice [https://youtu.be/Vo9qVeGs2Iw] explains some of the things that can still happen after sentencing has happened.

The effects of the crime and the court case can continue after sentencing
It’s not uncommon for victims to find the impact of what they went through at the time of the crime, dealing with the effects of the crime, and handling the court case exhausting, stressful or distressing for a long time. Even when sentencing is over, the stress can continue.

Your Support Worker is available for ongoing support and information for as long as you and your family or whānau might need it. You can call us 24/7 on 0800 842 846 to be connected with a Support Worker.

Practical Information on Managing Media Interest
At the time of sentencing or parole, the media may again take an interest and request interviews or invite your comments. See our practical information on ways to manage the media. (managing media interest)

Te Kāhui Tātari Ture | The Criminal Cases Review Commission

Anyone convicted of a crime in a New Zealand court, who believes they have suffered a miscarriage of justice, can apply to the New Zealand Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) for an independent review of their case. Once the CCRC has made their decision on whether a case will be referred to an appeal court, they must make their decision and the reasons for it, publicly available. See the CCRC website for more information.