Increase use of criminal compensation orders
IICSA · Accountability and Reparations Investigation Report · Issued 19 September 2019 · Addressed to: Ministry of Justice
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation, I
The Ministry of Justice should consult with the Sentencing Council, the Judicial College, the Crown Prosecution Service and other relevant bodies, in order to increase the use of criminal compensation orders, where appropriate, in cases involving child sexual abuse by, amongst other things, implementing guidance for the judiciary and prosecutors in the Crown Courts and Magistrates' Courts.
IICSA, Accountability and Reparations Investigation Report · 19 Sep 2019 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- In May 2023, the government noted that this recommendation was being progressed (Government Response to IICSA Final Report, HM Government, May 2023).
- No published specific guidance from the Sentencing Council on increased use of criminal compensation orders in CSA cases has been identified to March 2026.
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
On 6 April 2020, the Ministry of Justice stated that it had consulted with the Judicial College and the Sentencing Council in respect of implementing guidance for the judiciary in the Crown Court and Magistrates' Courts, and with the Crown Prosecution Service in respect of guidance for prosecutors. The Ministry of Justice stated that relevant guidance is sufficient. The Ministry of Justice also stated that it would explore its understanding of the reasons why courts make low numbers of compensation orders in cases of child sexual abuse. On 4 May 2022, the Ministry of Justice stated that it found courts make low numbers of criminal compensation orders in cases of child sexual abuse as: (a) the level of financial recompense provided by a criminal compensation order is unlikely to reflect the damage and trauma suffered by a victim, (b) the payment process for financial impositions may deter pursuit of a criminal compensation order, and (c) quantification of compensation in cases of child sexual abuse is often difficult and complex. The Ministry of Justice also confirmed that the Crown Prosecution Service and Sentencing Council have strengthened their guidance on criminal compensation orders and that the Ministry of Justice will publish updated pages on gov.uk to clarify the different types of compensation.
UK Government · 22 May 2023 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
No published activity has been recorded against this recommendation yet.
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.