Restitution for crime victims – What you should know

7 June 2020

There are several outcomes in any criminal proceeding in a court of law. As a law tutor London, it is essential that you address the possible outcome once a crime victim is presented in court, especially when teaching your law students.

While the work of any criminal lawyer is to defend their clients before a court of law, law tutors must explain to their students the result of any proceeding. One of the most likely outcomes in any criminal proceeding is restitution for crime victims.

Restitution for crime victims -What is restitution?

Restitution refers to restoration or repayment of something stolen or lost.

In law, restitution entails compensation to victims of criminal activity by the perpetrators of the said crime, which often relies on recovery.

The restitution can be part of a sentence, in combination with other punitive measures pronounced by the judge.

Setting the amount for restitution

The judge will consider several factors before settling on a particular amount as the restitution to the affected crime victims.

The factors include the defendant’s ability to pay, currently and in the future, the losses suffered by the victim, gains made by the accused from the crime, and the actual circumstances surrounding the crime.

The amount settled upon and set by the judge presiding over the case is paid to the victims who suffered directly from the crime, either as individuals or as entities. The victims may include the family members of the victim of a particular crime or the victims themselves.

The expenses covered in restitutions usually resemble those damages paid for victims of accidents or injuries.

If you are a law tutor, you must highlight the possible and likely outcomes of any criminal law proceeding to your law student, equipping them with knowledge in handling the criminal law cases.