30/10/2025

The Civil Law (Wrongs) (Organisational Child Abuse Liability) Amendment Bill 2025 passed the ACT Legislative Assembly today paving the way for victim survivors of childhood sexual abuse to obtain justice.

“We welcome this decision and congratulate the ACT Government for acting swiftly to rectify the injustice created by the High Court’s decision in Bird v DP,” said Hassan Ehsan, ACT President, Australian Lawyers Alliance.

“It is very reassuring news for all abuse victim survivors in the ACT and we urge other states and territories in Australia to follow this lead.

“This legislation will have a real and immediate impact for the many victim survivors of childhood abuse who have been blocked from holding institutions to account following last year’s High Court decision in Bird v DP.

“The ACT Government’s new law means the trauma of the original abuse is no longer compounded by the trauma of a system that allows technicalities to override accountability.”

In Bird v DP, the High Court decided that the Catholic Church cannot be held vicariously liable for the sexual abuse of a child committed by a priest without an employment relationship between the priest and the Diocese of Ballarat in Victoria. The High Court chose to overturn the decisions of the Supreme Court of Victoria and the Victorian Court of Appeal.

“I have spent countless hours listening to the lived experiences of victim survivors. The consequences of the abuse experienced as a child often lasts a lifetime,” said Hassan. “Many survivors never intended to take legal action. What they were seeking was simply for the institution that failed them to accept responsibility and for it to be held to account.”

The ALA is not for profit member association of legal professionals many of whom represent victim survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.