Historical abuse survivor given date for High Court challenge

A survivor of historic institutional abuse has been given a date for his High Court challenge to the handling of his compensation appeal.
Cyril GlassCyril Glass
Cyril Glass

The action taken by Cyril Glass is the first of its kind to examine the system around providing payments to victims.

He is seeking to judicially review decisions taken by the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Redress Board. The case has now been listed for a full hearing in September.

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Compensation is being allocated to those abused in homes across Northern Ireland run by religious orders and the state. The payments were a key recommendation made by the HIA Inquiry.

Mr Glass, who was targeted at training schools in Co Down, applied to the Redress Board when it opened last year. He issued proceedings after appealing an offer made to him. The case centres on alleged refusals to hold an oral hearing and to admit two witness statements.

Mr Glass, who leads the victims’ group Survivors Together, claims those decisions were procedurally unfair and breached his human rights.

He stressed the proceedings were also being taken on behalf of others.

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“I hope that this case will give the platform to raise and challenge the problems we as victims have with the Redress Appeals process,” he said.

“This challenge is not just for me but for the thousands of other victims and survivors applying to the scheme.”

His solicitor, Owen Beattie of KRW Law, added: “We look forward to a full hearing later this year when all of the legal issues under challenge will be fully ventilated before the court.