Modern International Approaches to Victims’ Right to Information: Understanding Major Legal Requirements

The protection of victims’ rights has long attracted significant academic and legal interest, finding expression in both international instruments and national legislation. Among these rights, the right to information occupies a central position, serving as a prerequisite for the meaningful exercise of all other entitlements within any justice system. Modern instruments such as the European Union Directive 2012/29/EU Establishing Minimum Standards on the Rights, Support, and Protection of Victims of Crime 2012 (‘Victims’ Rights Directive’), and the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights 2015, explicitly enshrine this right as foundational to effective victim participation and access to justice. Within this context, this article employs a qualitative methodology to examine how contemporary international instruments conceptualise and operationalise the victims’ right to information, and to identify the core legal and institutional requirements for its effective implementation across jurisdictions. Following an introduction, literature review, and theoretical framework, the study traces the historical evolution of this right, analyses mainstream international approaches, and outlines the key elements necessary for its adequate realisation in national legal systems. The analysis concludes that while international norms increasingly promote a more expansive and structured approach to victims’ right to information, several domestic frameworks - particularly in developing jurisdictions - frequently remain underdeveloped or inconsistent in their application. The article consequently argues that aligning national legislation, judicial procedures, and institutional support mechanisms with emergent international standards is essential to ensuring the full and effective enjoyment of this right by all victims of crime.