The Crime and Policing Act 2026

The crime and policing bill received Royal Assent this week (29th April 2026) and is now the Crime and Policing Act.

The Act’s main change, whilst introducing measures on policing powers, antisocial behaviour and public safety, is the removal of a limitation period for child sexual abuse claims. 

This change follows the recommendation of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and consultations made by survivors, charities and Solicitors evidencing that a significant number of claims were being rejected because not all survivors are able to disclose the sexual abuse they suffered within such strict time limits.

Prior to the Act civil claims for child sexual abuse claims in England and Wales were governed by the Limitation Act 1980. The Limitation Act stated that a claim must be brought within 3 years of the date of the event or if the event happened as a child by their 21st birthday.

The Court did have a discretion to set aside the limitation period under section 33 of the Act. The survivor needed to prove that a fair trial remained possible and there were reasons to explain the delay in the presentation of the claim.

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 has amended the Limitation Act 1980 by inserting two new sections which will:

1. Remove the three-year limitation period. Accordingly, there is now no time period in which a victim of child sexual abuse must pursue a civil claim;
2. Put the burden on the Defendant to satisfy the Court that it is not possible for a fair hearing to take place.

Therefore, the burden will now pass from the survivor to the Defendant to show that they are prejudiced by the delay and a fair trial cannot proceed. 

This will enable cases to be heard more easily and protect survivors from reliving the abuse they have suffered.

Now, all child sexual abuse cases will proceed unless the Defendant proves that a fair hearing cannot take place.

This is change which abuse Solicitors have been campaigning for, for years.