Criminal Injuries Compensation

English law

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 25, 2026

Quick Summary

In English law, the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme provides a statutory fund for victims of violent crimes. This scheme is particularly beneficial when the assailant is unknown or cannot be sued. Compensation awarded under this scheme generally follows the principles used in tort law for calculating damages.1

While tort law aims for full compensation for personal injury, considering both economic losses and non-financial damages like pain and suffering, the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme operates as a supplementary system. It is funded by Parliament and typically awards amounts that approximate tort rules. Similar schemes exist in other advanced legal systems, but they usually play a secondary role to tort law and have limited award levels.21

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

tort
Intentional interference
, the English Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme). This is particularly useful in cases where the assailant is not known or not considered worth suing; it has also often been of great use to policemen injured in the line of duty during civil unrest. Compensation in such cases comes…
Read More
, the English Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme). This is particularly useful in cases where the assailant is not known or not considered worth suing; it has also often been of great use to policemen injured in the line of duty during civil unrest. Compensation in such cases comes…
Read More