How much compensation should victims of crime get?

Friday 15 September 2023

The level of compensation and support available to victims of crime in Jersey could change in future – and islanders have just days left to have their say.

The Government is currently reviewing what's known as the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme with a view to making reforms to improve it.

How does the scheme operate currently?

The CICS currently provides compensation to individuals who have been harmed due to criminal activities in Jersey.

The scheme follows principles grounded in common law damages, ensuring that compensation in civil cases is fair, reasonable, and directly tied to the harm resulting from a wrongful act.

The scheme has set compensation limits, with a minimum threshold of £1,500 and a maximum cap of £100,000. Typically, the lower limit applies to minor injuries such as cuts, bruises, and sprains.

Additionally, the CICS has the discretion to reject or reduce compensation awards based on an applicant's prior criminal convictions.

The 'three-year' rule concerning applications for personal injury is also being reviewed.

How to have your say

With a desire in Government to make improvements to the scheme, policy officers in the Justice and Home Affairs Department are seeking to gather data from islanders to ensure that lessons from the current system inform the reform proposals.

Whether or not islanders have been victims of crime or used the scheme in the past, they are welcome to share their views in a consultation.

In particular, the Government is eager to hear from the public on the application and appeals process, compensation limits, exceptions to the three-year rule, support from victim organizations and legal professionals, the impact of court-ordered compensation on CICS applications, and awareness of the scheme among potential applicants.

The consultation is open until Sunday 17 September and you can take part HERE.