Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> JURIST - The Paper Chase

Legal News

: JURIST - The Paper Chase

UK introduces compensation scheme for victims of overseas terrorist attacks

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The British Government announced Monday plans for a new scheme to compensate victims of terrorist attacks abroad. Home Secretary Alan Johnson introduced the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme as part of the Crime and Security Bill that is currently before Parliament. The scheme will be limited to British nationals who sustain any injury from an act of terrorism occurring outside the United Kingdom after January 1, 2002. Justice Secretary Jack Straw said: Terrorism is intended as a political statement and an attack on society as a whole. Therefore it is right that, as a tangible expression of sympathy, society should compensate the victims of terrorist attacks abroad in recognition of the injuries suffered… Although we will never be able to compensate fully the trauma victims of terrorism experience, we hope the new scheme will provide some much needed relief and recognition that victims and their loved ones go through.Complete details of the plan have not yet been released.The Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme broadly mirrors the country's Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) scheme, which provides compensation for injuries, loss of earnings, death of a loved one, and expenses to Britons who are blameless victims of violent crimes occuring within the UK. The UK compensated victims of the London bombings in 2005 via the CICA compensation scheme. Victims were awarded between of £11,000 ($19,543 USD) with a maximum payout total of £500,000 ($888,542 USD). Following the US 9/11 attacks, the US Justice Department established a Victim Compensation Fund, which made more than 5,000 payments to survivors and families of victims ranging from $250,000 to over $8 million.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on January 19, 2010 (boomark / email).