AUSTRALIA
The Age
November 14, 2013
Jane Lee
Legal Affairs Reporter for The Age
Victims will have a much better chance of claiming compensation for historic child abuse from religious and other organisations if the state inquiry’s recommendations are implemented, lawyers say.
After an 18-month inquiry, the parliamentary committee investigating the matter recommended law reforms to remove major barriers that typically prevent victims from successfully suing the Catholic Church and other religious bodies. These include:
* Dismantling the “Ellis defence”, which prevents unincorporated religious organisations from being sued.
* Excluding child abuse from the statute of limitations, which bars lawsuits after a certain period.
* Creating an independent “alternative justice avenue” for criminal child-abuse victims.
Lawyer Angela Sdrinis said that as a package, the reforms were “the victims’ wish list”.
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