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New Webinar Resource: Criminal Compensation Orders Explained

On 11 November 2025, The Survivors Trust hosted a free webinar with Alan Collins, one of the UK’s leading solicitors in child abuse litigation. Over 100 Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) joined us to explore an important but often overlooked topic:
How and when to apply for a Criminal Compensation Order (CCO) in court.

But what is a Criminal Compensation Order?

A criminal compensation order (CCO) requires a person convicted of an offence to pay money to the victim of that offence for personal injury, loss or damage arising from it. The underlying purpose of a CCO is that offenders pay for the damage that they have caused, as a form of reparation.

Recent data provided by the Ministry of Justice show that only around 0.02 percent of CCOs relate to child sexual abuse cases.

Factors relevant to compensation may be included in the Victim Personal Statement, and in the MG19 compensation form provided to victims, in which the basis of a claim for compensation can be set out and provided to the court. (D.2: Criminal compensation orders, IICSA)

Watch the webinar

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) found that in 2017 only 26 Criminal Compensation Orders were made from a possible 6861 offenders. 

Please share this webinar recording widely. At The Survivors Trust, we believe that survivors have a right to be informed about compensation under the Victims’ Code, and courts can order compensation as part of criminal proceedings when a defendant is convicted.

About Alan Collins

Alan Collins is a nationally and internationally recognised solicitor working for Bolt Burdon Kemp specialising in child abuse litigation who has represented survivors in some of the most high-profile and complex cases in the UK and abroad.

With over three decades of legal experience, Alan is widely regarded as one of the UK’s foremost experts in child sexual abuse law. He has acted in landmark cases including the Jimmy Savile scandal and the Haut de la Garenne investigation. Alan has represented survivors before major public inquiries such as the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

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