Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to nominate?

Any member of staff from a criminal justice agency, or any volunteer from an organisation that works with victims, witnesses, defendants or offenders can make a nomination.

Who is eligible for an award?

The Justice Awards are open to any member of staff or team working in a criminal justice agency, which includes the Crown Prosecution Service, Her Majesty's Courts Service (including Magistrates' and Crown Court), Her Majesty's Prison Service, the police, the National Probation Service, the Youth Justice System, and the Criminal Defence Service. Also eligible are members of staff from organisation or public body connected to criminal justice, for example the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships or Community Safety Partnerships. Volunteers or voluntary groups - from organisations working with victims, witnesses, defendants or offenders - qualify for an award.

There are categories recognising both individual and team achievement, and teams can nominate themselves. We welcome nominations from teams who cross agencies, or that are made up of agencies and voluntary organisations in partnership on a particular project.

What do you mean by a "team"?

A team is a group of people working on a particular project or at a place of work such as a police station or court, who are either from the same agency, or from different agencies brought together for a specific task.

A team can also be a partnership between criminal justice organisations and other departments and agencies, for example a drug-crime reduction initiative that involves police, probation, the local authority, housing associations and the NHS Trust. The criminal justice agencies will need to be the lead organisation on these partnerships for them to be eligible, however.

How many people can be in a team?

There needs to be at least two people working on the same project for it to be classed as a team. However, there is no limit to the number of people in a team that can be nominated.

Is the Justice Awards open to the whole of the UK?

The Justice Awards is open to anyone working in the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales, and therefore does not cover Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Criminal Justice System runs its own Criminal Justice Awards, details of which can be found on their website: www.cjsni.gov.uk

The Scottish Justice Department does not run an awards scheme that covers the entire Criminal Justice System. However, they do run two justice related awards that recognise the efforts of the public:

The Standing up to Anti-Social Behaviour Awards and The Heroes Awards

Do I tell the person or team that I am nominating them?

You must inform your chosen colleague or team that you are nominating them for a Justice Award, as we will be contacting them at various stages of the campaign.

When can I nominate?

You can nominate 12 May to 4 August 2008 online at the Justice Awards website.

Can I only nominate online?

We encourage everyone, where possible, to nominate online. However, if this is difficult, you can request a Word format form by emailing justiceawards@cjs.gsi.gov.uk

How much work is involved in nominating someone for an award?

The nomination form has been designed so that it is simple and easy to complete. There is also a function to save your nomination online once you have begun, and then return to complete it when it is convenient for you. We do need as much information as possible so we can make the right decision. Before you begin your nomination, consider:

What is the person/team's outstanding contribution?;
What evidence is there to support their achievements? It is essential that you provide information to back up your nomination. Evidence can mean personal testimony, statistical evidence, reports or quotes;
Have they helped individuals in their work?;
Has their work impacted on their local community?; and
Has their work benefited the wider Criminal Justice System?

We will ask you to provide any examples you have of their outstanding contribution to support your nominations.

My team works with non-CJS partners. Is my partnership eligible?

Your team will be eligible for an award for its work in partnership with non-criminal justice agencies, as long CJS agencies lead on the project. Only CJS staff or volunteers will be able to make the nomination.

Can I nominate my own team?

Yes, you are able to nominate your own team for an award.

Can I nominate more than one person or team?

You can nominate as many individuals or teams as you like. We do not advise nominating the same candidates for more than one category.

What happens next after I have nominated?

Once you have submitted the form, you will automatically be sent an email confirming receipt of your nomination. We will keep you informed via email of the progress of the nomination over the following months.

I am not sure which category I should nominate my colleague in. What are the award categories and criteria for the awards?

Details of the Award Categories and their Criteria

How are the nominees assessed?

All nominees are judged by the criteria of the chosen category. Criteria for each category.

Once the nomination period has closed, all candidates are initially assessed by staff at the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, who produce a long-list of ten candidates in each category. A cross-agency sifting group - made up of senior officials and representatives from voluntary organisations - then choose three finalists in each category from the long-list for the judging panel to consider. Finally, the judging panel meet to choose a winner in each category, and an overall winner of the awards, who will be presented with the Justice Shield.

Who are the members of the Judging Panel?

The Judging Panel is chaired by the Attorney General and founder of the awards, the Rt. Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC. The full list of judges is available in the awards process section.

What is the deadline for nominations?

Nominations for the Justice Awards will close on Monday, 4 August 2008.

What happens at the awards ceremony?

The Justice Awards ceremony will take place on 21 October in London. Finalists from each category will be invited, with Baroness Scotland as guest of honour. Criminal justice ministers, senior officials, stakeholders and representatives of our sponsor organisations will also be present. For the past two years, the BBC's Fiona Bruce has presented the awards.

The awards are an opportunity for the nation to say thank you to all our staff and volunteers and the ceremony reflects this. We usually hold the ceremony in the daytime, providing lunch and holding a criminal justice exhibition showcasing the work of our sponsors and partner organisations.

Everyone who is invited, whether they turn out to be a winner or a runner up, is celebrated and given a certificate of achievement from Baroness Scotland.

Who do I contact for further information?

If you have any further questions on the awards, please contact Tom Callagher at justiceawards@cjs.gsi.gov.uk

What are the Justice Awards?

The Justice Awards were established in 2004 by the Attorney General, the Rt. Hon Baroness Scotland, then Minister of State for the Home Office, to recognise the outstanding achievements of staff and volunteers working at the front line of criminal Justice. Now in their fifth year, they have to date recognised over one hundred individuals and teams, celebrated in categories honouring work with victims and witnesses, efforts to tackle youth crime, work with offenders, contributions to local communities and diversity and partnership working across agencies.

Many of the winners and runners up have said that taking part has changed their lives, often increasing the profile of their work and helping them to achieve more in their chosen field.

The awards aim to be a way for the nation to say thank you to these individuals, and to be a showcase for good practice.