UK government announces the removal of the statute of limitation in sexual assault and abuse cases

Landmark reforms include the removal of the statute of limitation in sexual assault

On 4 February 2025, the government announced that it will implement in full the recommendation from IICSA (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse) to remove the 3-year time limit, which begins on the victim’s 18th birthday, for civil personal injury claims arising from child sexual abuse.

While the legislation isn’t expected to be put before Parliament until next year, the change recognises the very real difficulties victims and survivors have in coming forward within the current time limit.

What does the law on sexual abuse claims currently say?

Currently, any claim for abuse in childhood is supposed to be brought within 3 years of the victim turning 18 – this is known as the ‘primary limitation period’. The court can allow a claim to be brought outside this period, and many claims do go forward ‘out of time’.

But under these rules, victims of abuse are put in the unfair position of having to justify their delay in bringing the claim, despite research proving it typically takes many years for victims to summon up the psychological resources to disclose abuse and talk about it within a legal process.

Why is the government changing the law for sexual abuse claims?

The IICSA (Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse) was established in 2015 to investigate the extent to which institutions in England and Wales – including religious organisations, local authorities, public and private bodies, and people in the public eye – had failed to protect and safeguard children from sexual abuse.

As part of the investigation, the joint heads of Slater and Gordon’s specialist abuse team, Richard Scorer and Kim Harrison, gave evidence and argued strongly for a change in the limitation law. The IICSA accepted those arguments, making formal recommendations in 2022 that the primary limitation period be abolished in civil personal injury claims pertaining to abuse.

Following these recommendations, in 2024, the Ministry of Justice launched a consultation on reforming the limitation period, ensuring victims who struggle with the psychological challenges of coming forward with claims of abuse are not excluded from seeking justice.

What does this mean for victims of sexual abuse?

It is expected that the legislation will reach Parliament in 2026. Once passed, there will be no time limit for victims making a personal injury claim. What’s more, they will no longer have to justify their delay in coming forward. A defendant can still secure a stay of proceedings if they can persuade the court that a fair trial is impossible - but the burden of persuading the court will rest on them, not the victim. .

This is a very welcome and progressive change, for which our specialist abuse team have been arguing and campaigning for years. It will mean that victims of abuse will no longer have to fight to defend their right to justice in the civil court, and we are thrilled to see the government now committing to implementing the IICSA recommendation without watering it down.

However, the change will only take effect once legislation is passed, and we will be pressing the government to do this without delay.

We work hard to secure justice for those who have suffered from abuse

Our expert abuse solicitors work with victims and survivors of abuse every day and have decades of experience fighting for compensation for our clients.

We encourage anyone impacted by abuse to contact our team of specialist abuse claims solicitors. Our experts are experienced in handling cases involving highly sensitive matters, including sexual abuse. They professionally and compassionately support victims of abuse to obtain compensation from the people and organisations responsible for their injuries. To get in contact for a confidential discussion of your potential case, please call us on 0330 041 5869 or get in touch online to arrange a call back.