Will improving victims’ rights lead to unnecessary delays in the court system?

Fact: As long as victims rights are taken into account, there should be no delays at all. In fact, one of the rights is to be free from “unreasonable delay” because one of the tactics of the defense can be to delay court proceedings – a practice that is painful and terrifying for a victim coming to testify or observe a proceeding in the same room as his or her attacker. The accused have the right to a speedy trial, and victims should have rights that are equal in that regard.