Call for crime compensation rise

Jersey's home affairs minister wants to make changes to a compensation scheme for victims of violent crime, including increasing the minimum payout.

The Jersey Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme came into force 18 years ago.

Minister Ian Le Marquand is asking the States to make a number of amendments.

They include doubling the minimum amount of compensation a victim can get for injuries, such as cuts and bruises, to £1,500.

Minister Le Marquand also wants loss of earnings compensation to be calculated using average wage statistics for Jersey, rather than the UK.

He has also suggested increasing the number of people sitting on the compensation board from 10 to 12 people, three of whom have to be lawyers.