Remove Limitation Period
IICSA · The Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse · Issued 20 October 2022 · Addressed to: UK Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation, K.6
The Inquiry recommends that the UK government makes the necessary changes to legislation in order to ensure: the removal of the three-year limitation period for personal injury claims brought by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in respect of their abuse; and the express protection of the right to a fair trial, with the burden falling on defendants to show that a fair trial is not possible. These provisions should apply whether or not the current three-year period has already started to run or has expired, except where claims have been: dismissed by a court; or settled by agreement. They should, however, only apply to claims brought by victims and survivors, not claims brought on behalf of victims and survivors' estates.
IICSA, The Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse · 20 Oct 2022 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- No published legislation removing the three-year limitation period for personal injury claims in CSA cases has been identified to March 2026.
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
We accept the critical issue this recommendation seeks to remedy, and we will consult on strengthening existing judicial guidance in child sexual abuse cases and set out options to reform limitation law in child sexual abuse cases.
UK Government · 22 May 2023 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 29 Apr 2026 · Ministry of Justice Section 96 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 20), which received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, removes the three-year limitation period for personal injury claims brought by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, with the burden moving to defendants to establish that a fair hearing is not possible. Not yet commenced; commencement provisions are in sections 255 to 256 of the Act. Source →
- 31 Jan 2026 Removal of three-year limitation period and reversal of burden of proof provisions in Crime and Policing Bill, currently in Lords Committee stage (January 2026). Royal Assent expected later in 2026. Source →
- 8 Apr 2025 Removing three-year limitation period for civil claims; shifting burden of proof from survivors to defendants. Legislation progressing to remove barriers to civil justice for survivors. Source →
- 21 Jan 2025 · Home Affairs Select Committee Professor Alexis Jay told Home Affairs Committee that £187m was spent on IICSA and "to date none of its final recommendations had been implemented." Called for "full implementation" saying "get it done." View source → No Meaningful Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.