A new law that would lift restrictions on the time within which child abuse victims can bring a personal injury case has been passed by the House of Keys.

MHKs last week gave a third reading to the Limitation (Childhood Abuse) Bill. It will now go on to the Legislative Council for further scrutiny before it can take effect as a law.

Currently, in a personal injury case involving childhood abuse, the burden is on the claimant to show need to waive 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.