The Bill to end limitation periods for civil action by survivors of child sexual abuse has passed through both houses of State Parliament.
With the removal of this barrier, survivors of child sexual abuse will be able to seek justice and compensation in our civil courts, regardless of how many years ago the abuse occurred.
The Bill provides a legal basis for suing institutions in the name of their current office holders for historical child sexual abuse and includes provisions to overcome the difficulties that survivors may face in identifying a proper defendant.
It includes provisions overriding certain sections of the Federal corporations law, which will enable office holders to access the assets of related trusts and corporations for the purposes of satisfying the judgement amount.
The Bill also ensures that survivors are treated fairly by introducing a cap on the legal fees that may be charged to a plaintiff in child sexual abuse cases.