The Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal and the “Same Roof” Rule in Ireland: Exclusion, Inclusion and Reform

In April 2021, the Department of Justice revised the Scheme of Compensation for Personal Injuries Criminally Inflicted to remove the ‘same roof’ rule which excluded victims of violent crime from its remit who lived with the perpetrator of the crime. This article examines victims’ rights theory and international standards under the Istanbul Convention to examine why this rule was put in place and why further changes to the Scheme are necessary to better accommodate applications from victims of domestic violence and abuse going forward.