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Words you might come across

Legal jargon can make a hard process feel harder. These are plain-English meanings of the legal and medical words used in our guides, each checked at an official source such as the law itself, GOV.UK or the scheme.

We last checked these meanings on 6 October 2026. They explain the words in general terms and are not legal advice. Where the rules differ in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, we say so.

Legal and medical terms, A to Z

Alternative dispute resolution: Ways of settling a dispute without going through a full court trial. Civil claims guide →
Balance of probabilities: The standard the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) uses to decide claims, based on the evidence available. It is different from a criminal court, which decides whether something is proved ‘beyond reasonable doubt’. CICA deals with crimes in England, Wales and Scotland; Northern Ireland has its own scheme. CICA guide →
Care setting (Scotland’s Redress Scheme): A place where a child was living while in care. It includes most children’s homes, some residential schools, detention centres, boarded-out and foster care, and in some cases long-stay hospitals. It does not include living with a parent or guardian, a placement with a relative, or a private arrangement made by a parent or guardian, unless that arrangement was made with a public body or a voluntary organisation. Redress schemes guide →
Case worker (Scotland’s Redress Scheme): A trained professional, employed by the Scottish Government, who helps survivors apply for redress. Your case worker helps you add any missing information, may check what you say with other organisations, sends your application to Redress Scotland, and sends you its decision. Redress schemes guide →
Damages: A sum of money that a court awards as compensation to the person who brought the claim. Civil claims guide →
Date of knowledge: In a personal injury claim in England and Wales, the date you first knew, or could reasonably have found out, that your injury was significant, that it was caused by what happened, and who to bring the claim against. The usual 3-year time limit runs from the injury or, if later, from this date. For harm suffered as a child, the 3 years don’t start until your 18th birthday, and a court can allow some claims after the time limit. Since 29 June 2026 there is no time limit for personal injury claims about sexual abuse suffered under the age of 18, but a court must dismiss a claim if a fair hearing is no longer possible. Civil claims guide →
Disabling mental injury (CICA): Under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, a mental injury is ‘disabling’ if it has a substantial adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities: for example your work or school performance, your relationships or your sex life. It must last 6 weeks or more and be confirmed by a diagnosis or prognosis from a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. Temporary anxiety does not count. CICA guide →
IDVA: An independent domestic violence adviser. An IDVA supports people who are victims of domestic abuse, often people at high risk of harm, whether or not they have reported it to the police. People you might meet →
ISVA: An independent sexual violence adviser. An ISVA gives specialist emotional and practical support to people who have experienced sexual violence or sexual abuse, whether or not they report it to the police. A sexual assault referral centre can arrange access to one. In England and Wales, the government has issued statutory guidance on the ISVA role under the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024. People you might meet →
Legal aid: In England and Wales, legal aid can cover civil claims about abuse that happened when you were a child or a vulnerable adult. Whether you get it also depends on your circumstances, including your income and savings. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different legal aid rules. Civil claims guide →
Limitation period: The time within which someone who has a right to claim must start court proceedings. Once it has passed, that can be used as a defence to the claim. The rules differ across the UK. In England and Wales, there is no time limit for personal injury claims about sexual abuse suffered as a child (since 29 June 2026). In Scotland, there is no time limit for personal injury claims about any kind of abuse suffered as a child (since 4 October 2017). In both, a court can still stop a claim if a fair hearing is no longer possible. Northern Ireland has no special rule for abuse in childhood. Civil claims guide →
Next of kin (Scotland’s Redress Scheme): The husband, wife, civil partner or cohabitant of a survivor who has died. A cohabitant is someone who lived with the survivor as a couple for at least 6 months. If there is no one in that group, it means the survivor’s children, including stepchildren and children the survivor treated as their own. If the survivor died on or after 1 December 2004, their next of kin may be able to get a payment of £10,000, shared equally if it goes to children. Other conditions apply. Redress schemes guide →
Review (Scotland’s Redress Scheme): If you haven’t accepted an offer and you’re not satisfied with the decision, you can ask for a review. This covers a decision that you’re not eligible, the amount of an individually assessed payment, or a deduction. You must ask within 8 weeks of receiving the decision letter. A different panel at Redress Scotland then looks at the decision. Redress schemes guide →
Sexual assault referral centre (SARC): Sexual assault referral centres offer medical, practical and emotional support to anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted or abused, whatever their gender or age, and whenever it happened. They can arrange a forensic medical examination even if you haven’t decided whether to report, and can arrange access to an independent sexual violence adviser (ISVA). In Scotland, the service is called the sexual assault response co-ordination service (SARCS), and if you’re 16 or over you can refer yourself through NHS 24. In Northern Ireland, the SARC is The Rowan. Criminal process guide →
Special measures: Help for some witnesses to give evidence in court, such as a screen so the defendant can’t see you, a video link from somewhere else, or recording your evidence before the trial. In England and Wales, victims of sexual offences and domestic abuse are among those who are eligible, but the court decides whether to allow them. In Scotland, children and victims of sexual offences, domestic abuse, stalking or human trafficking are automatically entitled to some special measures. In Northern Ireland, the prosecutor can apply for them and the judge decides. Criminal process guide →
Tariff of injuries (CICA): The list in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme that sets the payment for each type of injury. To get an award, your injury must normally be described in the tariff. CICA guide →
Unspent conviction: A conviction that hasn’t yet become ‘spent’ under the rehabilitation of offenders rules. How long that takes depends on the sentence and on your age when you were convicted: longer sentences take longer, and the periods are shorter if you were under 18. Some sentences never become spent. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules. An unspent conviction can affect a criminal injuries compensation claim. CICA guide →
Victim Personal Statement: A statement in your own words about how a crime has affected you, physically, emotionally, financially or in any other way. It is different from a witness statement. In England and Wales, the judge or magistrate considers it when deciding the sentence. Northern Ireland also has victim personal statements. In Scotland, it is called a victim statement, and victims of some serious crimes can make one. Criminal process guide →
Victims’ Code: In England and Wales, the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (the Victims’ Code) sets out 12 rights for victims of crime. They include the right to be referred to services that support victims, to be given information about the investigation and prosecution, to make a Victim Personal Statement, and to complain if your rights aren’t met. Scotland has the Victims’ Code for Scotland, and Northern Ireland has the Victim Charter. Criminal process guide →
Victims’ Right to Review: In England and Wales, if the police or the Crown Prosecution Service decide not to prosecute, or to stop a case, you can ask for that decision to be reviewed under the Victims’ Right to Review Scheme. Some conditions apply, including time limits. In Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has its own review scheme, and in Northern Ireland you can ask the Public Prosecution Service for a review. Criminal process guide →
Waiver (Scotland’s Redress Scheme): To accept a payment from Scotland’s Redress Scheme, you must sign a waiver. It means giving up the right to bring, or to continue, civil claims about the abuse against the Scottish Government or any organisation that contributes to the scheme. The Scottish Government advises speaking to a solicitor for independent legal advice first. Redress schemes guide →

People you might meet

If you get support, report to the police or make a claim, you may meet people whose jobs you haven’t come across before. Our guide to people you might meet explains who does what.

Can’t find a word?

We add words as we write new guides. The organisations in our Support Directory can also help you make sense of what’s happening.

Where these meanings come from

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