Personal injury lawyers have called on the government to raise the cap on compensation for victims of crime. A Ministry of Justice consultation, ‘Getting it right for victims and witnesses’, closed this week after three months.

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers responded to the consultation with a call for the £500,000 cap on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund to rise.

‘Crime victims with the most severe injuries may require care for the rest of their lives,’ said APIL president Karl Tonks. ‘The cap of £500,000 is nowhere near enough, in many cases, to meet the ongoing medical and care needs.’

The cap was brought to light earlier this month by a campaign for financial support for six-year-old Thusha Kamaleswaran, who was paralysed after being shot in a gang shootout last year.

Kara Smith, of Stewarts Law, who represented the family’s claims to the compensation authority, argued comparable injuries would attract payouts of around £5m had they been caused in a road traffic accident. The MoJ will reveal its plans for compensation payments later this year.