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Parliament's justice select committee has recommended the Government establish an agency that would act as a "one-stop shop" for victims of crime.
The agency would be a source of information and assistance, and would co-ordinate with other agencies which dealt with victims, such as the Accident Compensation Corporation and the police.
The committee says an agency is needed to improve a judicial system which often overlooks victims in its focus on offenders and sentencing.
The recommendation comes in the report on an inquiry launched in May last year, initiated by Green Party MP Nandor Tanczos.
The report also recommends looking at widening compensation entitlements for victims. At present many victims of crime are covered by ACC, but Mr Tanczos said the coverage was not comprehensive.
The Government needed to look at where compensation policy had gaps and institute a system that provided adequate and accessible compensation to those who needed it.
Public submissions were heard last year, with many crime victims saying their main gripe was a lack of information and understanding about the criminal justice process.
Mr Tanczos said information available for victims of crime was haphazard.
"There are different kinds of information provided and we've suggested there needs to be a comprehensive and single source of information where victims ... can go and all of their questions can be clearly answered."
When the investigation was launched, Mr Tanczos cited police rape complainant Louise Nicholas, who has said she felt further victimised when she took the stand in court, as one source of inspiration for the inquiry.
Yesterday the committee said several recommendations were aimed at improving matters for victims giving evidence in court.
The report recommended future courts be designed with separate entrances and meeting rooms for victims and offenders.
Mr Tanczos said there was provision under law to use screens in court and video conferencing when appropriate, and recognising when these practices were needed should be part of best judicial practice.
One of the 38 recommendations was for the Government to consider adopting inquisitorial principles into the justice system.
The inquiry team found many victims of crime did not realise their role in the court process was limited to that of a witness for the prosecution, and that the focus of the prosecution was the public interest.
Mr Tanczos said: "We had to be quite careful to find a balance between recognising the rights of complainants and victims ... and ensuring that their needs were adequately met while at the same time not infringing on the right to a fair trial.
"We didn't consider those incompatible."
Committee chair Labour MP Lynne Pillay said the single agency would be similar to one the committee visited in Victoria, Australia.
That agency cost under $10 million to establish and operated independently under the umbrella of the state's justice department.
The visit was the subject of some controversy this year when the National Party members of the committee refused to go, saying the trip was a "junket".
Yesterday, Ms Pillay said the trip had been very successful and the group had received a "tremendous amount" of information on initiatives used in Australia.
- NZPA
