MHKs have giving their initial backing to a new law that will lift restrictions on the time within which child abuse victims can bring a personal injury case.

The Limitation (Childhood Abuse) Bill was granted a second reading in the House of Keys last week. That means MHKs have approved the principle of the Bill - they will take a closer look at the details during the clauses stage, most likely later this year.

At the moment the burden in a personal injury case involving childhood abuse is on the claimant to demonstrate a need to extend beyond the current three-year limit for a claim to be made after the offence took place, or three years from the date a claimant knew the identity of the person they are claiming against.

That is the same as with other personal injury claims.

But the Bill will remove the time limit in cases where the victim was a child at the time of the abuse.

impact

Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas said: ’[The Bill] responds to the recognition of the impact of historic childhood abuse on the victims of such abuse by removing the limitation which constitutes a barrier to access to justice for this specific group.’

He said the bill would have financial implications but that it was difficult to quantify the full extent.

’Nevertheless, the government takes the view that it is proper to accept the risk which is involved in order to secure justice for victims of child abuse,’ he said.

’What is paramount in all this is the principle that those harmed as children should be entitled to seek compensation through the court process provided the person defending the claim can have a fair trial, and this is more fundamental than the costs implication.’