£1.8 million claim for costs for the historical child abuse inquiry rejected

[debumblebee]

http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/04/15/abuse-inquiry-no-to-healths-claim-for-18m-in-costs/

JERSEY’S Health Department has had a £1.8 million claim for costs for the historical child abuse inquiry rejected by Treasury.

The JEP understands that the department has been asked to justify a part of the claim which asks for £864,000 to cover costs for the psychology trauma support team, which provides support for victims of abuse.

It is believed that the sum is considered to be far too high. The claims were contained in a proposition which was briefly lodged by the Treasury Department before being withdrawn last week following concerns over the money being requested.

Treasury Minister Senator Philip Ozouf said that it was essential that the sums being claimed by departments could be justified.

This is the correct decision.  It doesn't add up at all.

[King Rollo]

http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/04/15/abuse-inquiry-no-to-healths-claim-for-18m-in-costs/

JERSEY’S Health Department has had a £1.8 million claim for costs for the historical child abuse inquiry rejected by Treasury.

The JEP understands that the department has been asked to justify a part of the claim which asks for £864,000 to cover costs for the psychology trauma support team, which provides support for victims of abuse.

It is believed that the sum is considered to be far too high. The claims were contained in a proposition which was briefly lodged by the Treasury Department before being withdrawn last week following concerns over the money being requested.

Treasury Minister Senator Philip Ozouf said that it was essential that the sums being claimed by departments could be justified.

This is the correct decision.  It doesn't add up at all.

That is going to upset the PR guys - compensation cases through court under full public scrutiny now then, not!
The money will be found, unless of course someone is working away in the margins looking for the ideal moment to pounce, "advance ye the plotters and to hell with the old guard!"

[Ruddler]

I would imagine the States insurers are pulling a few strings as they will ultimately foot the bill for any compo payout - and history tells us that large sums will be claimed, if not necessarily paid out.  Wonder what the policy excess is?!

[Ruddler]

Pass!  I expect some sort of class action led by one or two ambulance chasing lawyers which will eventually be settled out of court in x number of years.  The insurers will insist on a confidentiality gag (even though the SS has already brought an R&P trying to get the States to agree not to agree to one, if you see what I mean) and the whole sorry business will drag on endlessly.  I believe that civil cases require a lower standard of proof than criminal so they'll probably wait until the current crop of defendants go through the system and then launch the civil on the back of whatever convictions come about.

[King Rollo]

Well its been 14 months and we haven't had a single person convicted yet.

Please enlighten me as to when you think all these claims will be coming in thick and strong?

I would agree DB, it does seem odd.  Although claims are not tied to successful court cases, if any cases are pending the lawyers will have no option but to stall until the courts have sat.  So you better ask the AG and Mr. Warcup to move it swiftly, or drop the cases and close the investigation.  They are the only ones with the power to move things forward.  

[King Rollo]

With regard to "gagging clauses" - if they are agreed & signed in Jersey and the signatory is resident on the island, all well and good.  But if a non resident accepts cash, signs the clause and then walks into the Daily Mail on the mainland a week later, claims he is under stress and feels his HR have been violated, so here is my story!  Well it would be down to Jersey to persue said person through the UK courts, a  costly exercise, because any case would be tested against the original abuse claims (in public), names brought out and media interest etc.  In other words a PR nightmare - could even go to appeal if lost and ultimately costing Jersey about ten times the original payment.