The UK Government has today provided an update on its response to the recommendations made by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) in October 2021. Amongst the recommendations made were two of particular relevance for potential defendants and their insurers - the establishment of a redress scheme and a change to the law of limitation. The Government remains committed to both.

The update notes that with regard to limitation there will be a consultation paper published shortly which will be “setting out options for reforming limitation law in child sexual abuse cases, as well as examining how the existing judicial guidance in child sexual abuse cases could be strengthened.”

In terms of redress, the Government notes that establishing a redress scheme will require “significant join up and collaboration across Government to work through the many complexities involved in delivering a scheme that is sensitive to victim and survivor needs and provides a non-adversarial, trauma-informed route to seeking redress.” There has been extensive consultation to scope the potential options and costs and, while it is confirmed that there will be a scheme, no timescale is given for the same.

Part of the engagement has been with schemes operated by other national and local governments. In a series of follow up blogs we will be updating on the progress of such schemes in Australia, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Lambeth, south London.