Monday, February 13, 2012

Sisters challenge time limit on compensation

TWO sisters who allege they were abused in institutions claim they should be allowed to seek state compensation despite applying after the time limit.

The sisters, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, allege they were abused in a convent in the south-east during the 1960s following the death of their mother.

The High Court heard that they did not make a claim for compensation to the Residential Institutions Redress Board until after the December 2005 deadline.

The sisters said this was because the convent was not on a list of institutions the scheme applied to under the name it was most commonly known. 

As a result, they believed they were ineligible.

The sisters both moved to rural parts of UK and were not familiar with the redress scheme, the High Court heard.

However, they subsequently learned that the convent was listed under a title they were not familiar with, and not under the name it was commonly known.

Mr Justice Michael Peart granted them permission to bring a challenge against the board decision.