Victims' eyes on slopping out compensation
Civil actions against criminals could follow human rights payments
Prisoners who receive compensation for degrading prison conditions such as slopping out, could in turn face civil actions from their victims.
Victims would normally be able to bring a civil case against their wrongdoer, but few criminals have the assets to make such an action worthwhile. Now legal sources are raising the prospect of actions to freeze the prisoners' awards and make them subject to the victims' claims. It is thought that there could be as many as 1,000 actions brought by prisoners.
A potential difficulty for the victims is time bar as actions for personal injuries normally have to be raised within three years, and other reparation claims are barred after five.
Victims of crimes of violence may also turn to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, whose spokesman yesterday welcomed the prospect of their being able to sue their assailants.
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