High Court allows challenge over Government's…

On Thursday 5 March 2026, the High Court granted permission for charity, The Maggie Oliver Foundation, to challenge the Government on its failure to implement the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

Permission was granted in relation to the failure to act of a recommendation to ban pain infliction of inducing compliance techniques on children in custodial settings.

Permission was also granted on a legitimate expectation argument in relation to assurances given in relation to the 20 recommendations made by the Inquiry.

The three recommendations at the centre of the application relate to recording the age, ethnicity, religion and occupation of perpetrators of child sexual abuse, ending the use of pain-inducing restraint on children in custody and ensuring those in care have greater access to the courts.

The case will now proceed to a full substantive hearing.

Christopher Jacobs represented The Maggie Oliver Foundation, instructed by Howe & Co.

Press coverage can be found at The Guardian and BBC News.