Law Reform Commission of Ireland Consultation Paper on Compensating Victims of Crime

The Law Reform Commission of Ireland has started a consultation process to look into how victims of violent crime are compensated. 

As part of the exercice, it has issued a Consultation Paper.

It covers:

• the nature of awards of criminal injuries compensation;
• who should be eligible to receive compensation;
• how the criminal injuries compensation process operates;
• who should make decisions on compensation awards and how to fund any modified scheme;
• how to avoid secondary trauma to victims;
• what kinds of non-monetary supports should be offered to victims;
• what a reformed statutory scheme should look like

Among other things, the paper examines the  development over time of compensation programs in Ireland, as well as the origin of state-funded victim compensation schemes internationally. It also traces the development and recognition of victim’s rights, particularly the binding legal obligations that arise for EU Member States.