Victims and Courts Act 2026: stages, votes and documents
The Victims and Courts Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, 357 days after its first reading in the House of Commons on 7 May 2025. MPs divided on it 10 times between 27 October 2025 and 25 March 2026; the narrowest margin was 123 (motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 3).
Stages taken place
18
Commons divisions
10
Documents listed
26
Royal Assent
29 April 2026
What the bill is for
The long title reads:
A Bill to Make provision about the experience of victims within the criminal justice system; about the functions of the Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses; and about procedure and the administration of criminal justice.
Sponsors
- Shabana Mahmood (Labour, Commons), Ministry of Justice
- Baroness Levitt (Labour, Lords), Ministry of Justice
Stages
| Stage | House | Sittings |
|---|---|---|
| 1st reading | Commons | 7 May 2025 |
| 2nd reading | Commons | 20 May 2025 |
| Programme motion | Commons | 20 May 2025 |
| Money resolution | Commons | 20 May 2025 |
| Committee stage | Commons | 17 June 2025, 19 June 2025, 24 June 2025 |
| Report stage | Commons | 27 October 2025 |
| 3rd reading | Commons | 27 October 2025 |
| 1st reading | Lords | 28 October 2025 |
| 2nd reading | Lords | 16 December 2025 |
| Committee stage | Lords | 9 February 2026, 11 February 2026 |
| Report stage | Lords | 10 March 2026 |
| 3rd reading | Lords | 17 March 2026 |
| Programme motion | Commons | 25 March 2026 |
| Consideration of Lords amendments | Commons | 25 March 2026 |
| Consideration of Commons amendments and / or reasons | Lords | 15 April 2026 |
| Consideration of Lords message | Commons | 20 April 2026 |
| Consideration of Commons amendments and / or reasons | Lords | 23 April 2026 |
| Royal Assent | Unassigned | 29 April 2026 |
Commons divisions on this bill
| Date | Division | Ayes | Noes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 October 2025 | Victims and Courts Bill Report Stage: New Clause 4 | 152 | 337 |
| 27 October 2025 | Victims and Courts Bill Report Stage: New Clause 7 | 165 | 323 |
| 27 October 2025 | Victims and Courts Bill Report Stage: New Clause 12 | 166 | 322 |
| 27 October 2025 | Victims and Courts Bill Report Stage: Amendment 5 | 153 | 332 |
| 25 March 2026 | Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 1 | 291 | 158 |
| 25 March 2026 | Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 2 | 295 | 162 |
| 25 March 2026 | Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 3 | 286 | 163 |
| 25 March 2026 | Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 4 | 300 | 149 |
| 25 March 2026 | Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 5 | 292 | 162 |
| 25 March 2026 | Victims and Courts Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 6 | 290 | 163 |
Documents
Act of Parliament
- Victims and Courts Act 2026 (c. 19) 8 May 2026
Bill
- Bill 233 2024-25 (as introduced) 7 May 2025
- Bill 271 2024-25 (as amended in Public Bill Committee) 25 June 2025
- 5901141.pdf · 5901141.html · 5901141.xml 28 October 2025
- 5901176.pdf · 5901176.html · 5901176.xml 10 March 2026
- Bill 410 2024-26 (Lords Amendments) - pdf 18 March 2026
- 5901184.pdf 26 March 2026
- Bill 423 2024-26 Lords Non-Insistence and Amendments in Lieu 16 April 2026
- 5901190.pdf 21 April 2026
Explanatory Notes
- Bill 233 EN 2024-25 7 May 2025
- HL Bill 141 Explanatory Notes · 5901141en.pdf 28 October 2025
- Bill 410 EN 2024-26 - pdf 18 March 2026
Impact Assessments
- Victims Measures Impact Assessment from the Ministry of Justice 7 May 2025
- Courts Measures Impact Assessment from the Ministry of Justice 7 May 2025
- Overarching Impact Assessment from the Ministry of Justice 7 May 2025
- VAC Bill-OIA.pdf 27 October 2025
- VAC Bill- VictimsIA.pdf 27 October 2025
- VAC Bill-ParentalResponsibilityEqualitiesStatement.pdf 27 October 2025
- VAC Bill-Equalities Statement(Children).pdf 27 October 2025
- VAC Bill- Equalities Statement(Victims).pdf 27 October 2025
Delegated Powers Memorandum
- Delegated Powers Memorandum from the Ministry of Justice 7 May 2025
- For Publishing- VAC Bill - Delegated Powers Memo UPDATED FOR LORDS FINAL .pdf 29 October 2025
Briefing papers
- Victims and Courts Bill 2024-2025 16 May 2025
- Victims and Courts Bill 2024-2025: Remaining stages 20 October 2025
- Victims and Courts Bill: HL Bill 141 of 2024-26 13 November 2025
- Victims and Courts Bill 2024-26: Lords Amendments 23 March 2026
Official record
Sources
| Record | Read | SHA-256 |
|---|---|---|
| Bills API: bill | 26 October 2026 | 3414dcc03be2d35e… |
| Bills API: stages | 26 October 2026 | 7e02ce4f0c2600c2… |
| Bills API: publications | 15 October 2026 | 52c5f83d38959c5a… |