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04 November 2022 / Richard Scorer , Kim Harrison
Issue: 8001 / Categories: Features , Criminal , Child law , Personal injury
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IICSA's final report: How to protect children?

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Can the IICSA final report make a difference? Richard Scorer & Kim Harrison report
  • Looks at the findings and recommendations of the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), which began work in 2015.
  • Covers proposals on mandatory reporting, limitation periods, regulation and inspection.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report last month—the culmination of a work programme which first started in 2015. How should we assess that report, and IICSA’s legacy?

What was IICSA?

IICSA was a statutory inquiry established pursuant to the Inquiries Act 2005, with legal powers to compel witnesses and require disclosure of documents. However, although it was investigating serious crime—child sexual abuse—IICSA was not a substitute criminal court. IICSA’s focus was not findings of fact about particular allegations of abuse, but rather institutional response to allegations. Its task was to examine how state and non-state institutions in England and Wales—churches, care homes, local authorities, police, prosecutors and other organisations—have

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NEWS
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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