Approaches of Justice Administering Authorities: Towards Crime Victims

The evolution of criminal justice systems has progressively shifted from an offender-centric model to a more balanced framework that recognizes the rights, dignity, and needs of crime victims. Justice administering authorities—including police, judiciary, prosecution, and correctional institutions—play a pivotal role in shaping victim experiences within the legal process. This paper critically examines various approaches adopted by these authorities towards crime victims, including retributive, reformative, restorative, and victim-centric justice models. It evaluates institutional mechanisms such as victim compensation schemes, witness protection programs, and legal aid services within the Indian legal framework. The study highlights persistent challenges such as secondary victimization, procedural delays, lack of awareness, and infrastructural deficiencies. Through doctrinal and comparative analysis, the paper underscores the necessity of a rights-based and empathetic justice approach. It concludes by recommending structural reforms to ensure meaningful victim participation and effective justice delivery.