Publication
50382 (9 May 2022)
From Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
Published on
Last updated on
From Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
Published on
Last updated on
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal
In the matter of an application under the Scheme of Compensation for Personal Injuries Criminally Inflicted
Decision of a Single Member
Name of applicant: [ ]
Application number: 50382
Date of incident: [ ]
Date of application: [ ] (received by the Tribunal [ ] )
Decision outcome: The application refused under paragraph 21.
1. Mr [ ] (‘the applicant’) has made a claim for compensation under the Scheme of Compensation for Personal Injuries Criminally Inflicted (‘the Scheme’).
2. In his application form, the applicant stated that he had suffered laceration injuries as a result of being assaulted at [ ], [ ], in the early hours of [ ]. The applicant was walking home with a friend after a function when they passed a group of unknown males. One of the group of males struck the applicant to the back of his head with a glass bottle. The applicant fell to the ground where he was kicked, punched and stabbed with the glass repeatedly. The applicant's friend intervened and took the applicant away. An ambulance was called, and the applicant was brought to [ ] Hospital and transferred to [ ] Hospital where he had surgery. The applicant received inpatient treatment at hospital and also outpatient treatment, together with consulting his GP.
3. The applicant was written to by the Tribunal to request information in support of his claim, to include original receipts and out of pocket expenses. No response to the correspondence having been received, on [ ], the Tribunal wrote to the applicant to advise that unless the outstanding information was provided on or before [ ], the file would be sent to a Member for decision.
4. No response to the letter was received by the tribunal from the applicant.
5. The applicant’s application for compensation was received by the Tribunal on [ ].
6. Paragraph 21 of the Scheme states:
‘Applications should be made as soon as possible but, except in circumstances determined by the Tribunal to justify exceptional treatment, not later than three months after the event giving rise to the injury.’
7. As can be seen, the application was required to have been made to the Tribunal by the applicant promptly and not less than three months from the date of the incident. A claim that is submitted outside the three-month time limit can only be admitted to the Scheme if the Tribunal considers that the circumstances which resulted in the late submission of the application justify exceptional treatment.
8. In this instance, the application form ought to have been lodged with the Tribunal no later than by [ ]. In the event, the application form was received by the Tribunal on [ ]. As such, it was lodged approximately three months’ late.
9. No explanation was provided by the applicant to explain why the application was lodged outside the three-month time limit as provided by the scheme. Having carefully considered the matter, the Tribunal could identify no circumstances justifying exceptional treatment which would permit the exercise of its discretion in favour of admitting the application under the Scheme.
10. The Tribunal therefore refused to admit the application under paragraph 21 of the Scheme.
11. For the avoidance of doubt, had the application been admitted under the exceptional treatment provision contained in paragraph 21, the application would have been refused under paragraph 11 of the scheme on the basis that the applicant had failed to provide all reasonable assistance to the tribunal in the furtherance of his claim.
12. NA
13. NA
16. NA
17. Nil.
Conor Heaney
Chairperson, Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal
9 May 2022