Witness Tips – Criminal Injuries Compensation Board

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB) is an independent provincial body that was created to acknowledge, support and provide financial compensation to innocent victims of violent crimes.  The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board helps people who have been injured directly whether physically, psychologically or both and people harmed as a result of injury to another, such as the children of a murder victim.  In Canada, most provinces have some form of criminal injuries compensation.  The rules about what is covered may not be the same however, so please check the Provincial and Territorial Links page to find what happens in your province.

• A victim of violent crime who has suffered personal, physical, or psychological harm.
• A person who was physically injured while attempting to prevent a crime.
• A person responsible for the support of the victim.
• Dependants/family members of an injured or a deceased person.
• Child support for a child born as a result of a sexual assault.

A person must first call the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board office in your area.  Some basic information will be taken over the telephone.  A file number will be assigned to the case and an application package will be mailed out.

It is helpful to have someone who is familiar with how the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board works to help fill in the application.  Most Sexual Assault Care Centres, women’s shelters and Victim Witness Assistance staff have an expertise in this area and can help.  You can also hire a lawyer to assist you but not all Criminal Injuries Compensation Board’s provide compensation for the legal fees.

If you are under the age 18, you must file through a parent, guardian or adult of legal age.

It is important to give as much detail as possible in the compensation claim.  Although this may be hard for someone who will have to re-experience the trauma, without the detail the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board will not be able to assess your needs properly.

Submit receipts or cancelled cheques for all the expenses you had as a result of the crime.

If you were injured and required medical attention, it is important to sign a Release of Information form and take it to the facility or hospital where the medical records are held so that this information can be sent to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.

If the police were involved, even if the offender was not caught, or if there was no criminal conviction, the police report should be included.

If you received counselling or are seeking therapy, the counsellor should include a report of how the crime has affected you.

If you were paying for counselling, be sure to include proof of payments by providing cancelled cheques or receipts.

Submit any receipts for other out-of-pocket medical expenses i.e. physiotherapy.

Report loss of wages (If you were unable to work as a result of an injury that did not occur at your workplace).

You will need to tell the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board if you receive compensation such as insurance.

In most situations, a claim must be filed within one year of the date of the crime.  The deadline varies from province to province.  Check the Provincial and Territorial Links page and follow the links to see what the deadline is in your province.

Damage or loss of property, clothing, money etc.

Loss of wages if the victim was injured in a crime at work and was paid by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.

Most cases take at least one year and or longer before a decision is made.

You have the right to appeal the decision.

Information obtained from this Canadian Site will vary from province to province and from territory to territory.  Go to Provincial and Territorial Links page and follow the links to see what pertains to you.

Everything you include must be truthful, accurate and relevant to the crime of which the accused has been found guilty.