Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing specific civil wrongs of (1) trafficking, (2) slavery, (3) servitude, and (4) forced labour, in legislation, to ensure that modern slavery victims can better access remedies for harms inflicted on them.

Civil remedies in tort already exist for victims of trafficking and slavery to claim damages from perpetrators through ordinary civil law and the Human Rights Act 1998. Damages can, for example, be recovered for loss or damage caused to victims under the torts of intimidation, harassment, assault, unlawful imprisonment, negligence and breach of duty. As such, the Government is currently of the view that the existing civil law provides the necessary civil remedies for modern slavery cases.

To assist victims to bring a civil claim for compensation against their perpetrator, Section 47 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 extends civil legal aid to all victims of modern slavery who are identified and confirmed as being victims, through the National Referral Mechanism.

Additionally, criminal courts have powers to provide reparation to victims through both slavery and trafficking reparation orders (through the Modern Slavery Act 2015) and compensation orders. Victims of modern slavery can also pursue compensation by applying to the state funded Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.