Pensions for the Victims of the Troubles in Northern Ireland : Another Faltering Step

The Troubles in Northern Ireland after 1969 generated many deaths and personal injuries. Yet, relatively few instances of loss have been compensated by tort law, and most victims of terrorism have had recourse to programmes of state compensation. Over the years, various schemes have been applied and augmented, but all can be viewed as inadequate in various ways. The latest attempt to afford justice to victims of terrorism is the Victims’ Payments Regulations 2020, by which a new scheme is introduced for the payment of pensions to persons severely injured in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. This article gives an overview of the scheme and assesses it in the context of affording justice to the victims of terrorism