Tasmania to close legal loophole to help child sex abuse survivors
Tasmania is set to introduce new vicarious liability laws aimed at holding organizations accountable for child sexual abuse committed by individuals not formally employed by them. This legislation follows a 2024 High Court decision that limited the liability of churches for the actions of their priests. Advocates believe this reform is crucial for providing justice and compensation to survivors of abuse.
- ▪The new laws will make organizations liable for the actions of individuals not formally employed by them.
- ▪The legislation is a response to a 2024 High Court decision that exempted churches from liability for abuse by priests.
- ▪The draft legislation will be released for consultation in the coming weeks, with the goal of passing it later this year.
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Tasmania to introduce new vicarious liability laws, child sex abuse survivor and advocate welcomes moveMBy Meg WhitfieldTopic:Child AbuseSat 16 May 2026 at 3:58pmSat 16 May 2026 at 3:58pmSat 16 May 2026 at 3:58pmAdvocate and victim survivor Steve Fisher, from Beyond Abuse, has welcomed Tasmania's newly proposed vicarious liability laws. (ABC News: Mackenzie Heard)In short:The Tasmanian government will introduce new vicarious liability laws, which will make organisations liable for the actions of individuals that aren't formally employed by them.Victim survivor and advocate Steve Fisher says the legislation is a step forward, and will overcome the hurdle created by a 2024 High Court decision.What's next?Tasmanian Attorney General Guy Barnett says the draft legislation will be released in…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).