Reports Of Committees
| Date | 01 July 1965 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2230.1965.tb01090.x |
| Published date | 01 July 1965 |
WEPORTS
OF
COMMITTEES
CRIMINAL
INJURIES
COMPENSATION
BOARD RELEASES
THE
Criminal Injuries Compensation Board came into operation
on
August
1,
1964.
It
is obliged
to
report annually on
it5
work so as to
enable Parliament. to review its activities.’ These releases have been
published, not in pursuance
of
that obligation, but as a guide to
prospective applicants. They take the form of a brief statistical
summary
of
the cases heard in the relevant period, together with
short notes on cases where awards have been accepted by the appli-
cants without a hearing,
and
rather longer notes on cases where there
has been a hearing. The Board’s procedure is that a single member
deals with an application initially by correspondence, and only in
the event of the applicant refusing
to
accept his decision is there a
hearing, which takes place before three other members
of
the Board.
Such hearing, though less formal, follows the general pattern
of
ordinary court procedure.
It
is
conducted on an adversary basis,
witnesses are called and examined, and legal representation of the
applicant is permitted. There is, however, no provision for further
appeal, either to the courts
or
to the Minister.
Prior to the introduction
of
this scheme, there had been extensive
discussion of the problem of compensation
for
victims of crime.
There were numerous reports from inside
*
and outside the civil
service; three private members’ Bills were introduced into Parlia-
ment
*;
and there were debates in both Lords and Commons.6 This
very full prior ventilation revealed the difficulties that were likely
to be encountered in devising and administering any such scheme.
These were magnified by the absence of any practical experience
elsewhere with such a project.’
It
was accordingly decided that it
was best not to define the scheme too closely, to allow the Board con-
siderable flexibility in choosing its approach, and to let it feel its way
along.
One particular difficulty was felt to be the absence
of
any logical
justification, first for compensation by the state to
any
victims
of
crime at all, and, secondly,
for
the selection from among such
victims of those
of
crimes
of
violence. This difficulty seems to have
1
Para. 4
of
the amended scheme as set out in the Home Secretary’s written
answer to
a
question from
Sir
Hugh Lucas-Tooth show8 the exact extent
of
thie obligation.
897
H.C. Deb. (Written Answers), cola.
89-93.
2
e.g.,
by
a
Home
Office
Working Party. Cmnd. 1406.
3
e.g.,
by Justice, the
Bow
Group and the AsAociation
of
Municipal Associations.
4
One by
Mr.
C.
Johnson
and
two,
on
different occasions, by Mr.
R.
Prentice.
5
248
H.L. Deb.,
cols.
245-319.
6
694 H.C. Deb., cola. 1127-1243.
Although
the
New Zealand Criminal Injuries Act came into force
on
January
1,
1964,
no
full reports
of
its practical operation were available before the
introduction
of
thih scheme.
460
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