AUSTRALIA
The Guardian
Alan Porritt/AAP
Joshua Robertson
@jrojourno
Thursday 4 August 2016
The Queensland government has dashed the hopes of child sex abuse victims that its bill to remove age limits on compensation claims would clear the way for fresh lawsuits against churches and schools.
The government revealed it would not table laws to “remove past deeds” struck by institutions in lesser settlements based on the 21-year age limit on victims bringing civil actions.
It cited potential “far-reaching and unintended consequences” of legislating to override legal barriers preventing repeat claims, saying a national redress scheme may be “more appropriate”.
It follows the premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, saying on Tuesday that the government would not use past deeds to block fresh claims by victims who had previously settled with state-run institutions.
Advocates were also assured by Palaszczuk and the attorney general, Yvette D’Ath, that the bill to be tabled on 18 August would comply with key recommendations around the removal of time limits by the royal commission into institutional child sex abuse.
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