New civil litigation laws will be introduced into Parliament, paving the way for thousands of survivors to sue institutions responsible for child abuse.

NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman says the vital reforms recommended by the Royal Commission will remove long-standing legal barriers enabling survivors to take action against institutions which have failed to keep children safe from abuse.

The changes will remove the ‘Ellis Defence’ that enabled certain institutions to avoid liability for child abuse and will impose a statutory duty of care on all institutions to prevent child abuse.

Attorney General Speakman tells John Stanley “it will make the process fairer for survivors of child sexual abuse”.

“At the moment, faith-based institutions and other institutions can hide behind trust structures to avoid liability.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to put child safety first, and if a child has been abused, sexually or physically, by an institution, then the institution should pay up.”

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