Compensation offer won’t reduce prison terms for criminals

Courts will no longer be entitled to reduce prison sentences for criminal offenders if they offer financial compensation to the victims of their crimes.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter yesterday announced an update to near 100-year-old legislation, breaking the link between the payment of compensation and the sentencing of offenders.

The ‘poor box’ will also be abolished and replaced by a fund overseen by the minister, where court-ordered payments by offenders will go to crime victims and not charities or religious groups.