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SAFETY, REHABILITATION AND COMPENSATION ACT 1988 - SECT 124

Application of Act to pre - existing injuries

  (1)   Subject to this Part, this Act applies in relation to an injury, loss or damage suffered by an employee, whether before or after the commencing day.

  (1A)   Subject to this Part, a person is entitled to compensation under this Act in respect of an injury, loss or damage suffered before the commencing day if compensation was, or would have been, payable to the person in respect of that injury, loss or damage under the 1912 Act, the 1930 Act or the 1971 Act.

  (2)   A person is not entitled to compensation under this Act in respect of an injury, loss or damage suffered before the commencing day if compensation was not payable in respect of that injury, loss or damage:

  (a)   where the injury, loss or damage was suffered before the commencement of the 1930 Act--under the 1912 Act;

  (b)   where the injury, loss or damage was suffered after the commencement of the 1930 Act but before the commencement of the 1971 Act--under the 1930 Act as in force when the injury, loss or damage was suffered; or

  (c)   in any other case--under the 1971 Act as in force when the injury, loss or damage was suffered.

  (3)   A person is not entitled to compensation under section   24 or 25 in respect of a permanent impairment, or under section   17 in respect of the death of an employee, being an impairment or death that occurred before the commencing date, if:

  (a)   the person received compensation of a lump sum in respect of that impairment or death under the 1912 Act, the 1930 Act or the 1971 Act; or

  (b)   the person was not entitled to receive compensation of a lump sum in respect of that impairment or death:

  (i)   where the impairment or death occurred before the commencement of the 1930 Act--under the 1912 Act;

  (ii)   where the impairment or death occurred after the commencement of the 1930 Act but before the commencement of the 1971 Act--under the 1930 Act as in force when the impairment or death occurred; or

  (iii)   in any other case--under the 1971 Act as in force when the impairment or death occurred.

  (4)   The amount of compensation (if any) that a person is, by virtue of this section, entitled to receive under section   24 or 25 in respect of a permanent impairment, or under section   17 in respect of the death of an employee, being an impairment or death that occurred before the commencing day, shall be the same as the amount of the compensation that would have been payable to that person, if this Act had not been enacted, under:

  (a)   where the impairment or death occurred before the commencement of the 1930 Act--the 1912 Act;

  (b)   where the impairment or death occurred after the commencement of the 1930 Act but before the commencement of the 1971 Act--the 1930 Act as in force when the impairment or death occurred; or

  (c)   in any other case--the 1971 Act as in force when the impairment or death occurred.

  (5)   A person is not entitled to compensation under section   29 in respect of any period occurring before the commencing day.

  (6)   A person is not entitled to compensation under subsection   17(5) in respect of the death of an employee, or under section   19, 20, 21, 22 or 31 in respect of an incapacity, where the compensation relates to a period occurring before the commencing day, if:

  (a)   that person received weekly payments of compensation in respect of that death or incapacity in relation to that period under the 1912 Act, the 1930 Act or the 1971 Act; or

  (b)   that person was not entitled to receive weekly payments of compensation in respect of that death or incapacity in relation to that period:

  (i)   where the death or period of incapacity occurred before the commencement of the 1930 Act--under the 1912 Act;

  (ii)   where the death or period of incapacity occurred after the commencement of the 1930 Act but before the commencement of the 1971 Act--under the 1930 Act as in force when the death or period of incapacity occurred; or

  (iii)   in any other case--under the 1971 Act as in force when the death or period of incapacity occurred.

  (7)   The rate of compensation (if any) that a person is, by virtue of this section, entitled to receive under subsection   17(5) in respect of the death of an employee, or under section   19, 20, 21, 22 or 31 in respect of an incapacity, where the compensation relates to a period occurring before the commencing day, shall be the same as the rate of compensation that would have been payable to that person in relation to that period, if this Act had not been enacted, under:

  (a)   where the period occurred before the commencement of the 1930 Act--the 1912 Act;

  (b)   where the period occurred after the commencement of the 1930 Act but before the commencement of the 1971 Act--the 1930 Act as in force during the period; or

  (c)   in any other case--the 1971 Act as in force during the period.

  (8)   A person is not entitled to compensation under subsection   16(1) or (6) or section   18 in respect of any cost, the liability to pay which arose before the commencing day, or of any expenditure incurred before that day, if:

  (a)   an amount was paid in respect of that cost or expenditure under the 1912 Act, the 1930 Act or the 1971 Act; or

  (b)   an amount was not payable in respect of that cost or expenditure:

  (i)   where the liability for the cost arose, or the expenditure was incurred, before the commencement of the 1930 Act--under the 1912 Act;

  (ii)   where the liability arose, or the expenditure was incurred, after the commencement of the 1930 Act but before the commencement of the 1971 Act--under the 1930 Act as in force when the liability arose or the expenditure was incurred; or

  (iii)   in any other case--under the 1971 Act as in force when the liability arose or the expenditure was incurred.

  (9)   The amount of the compensation (if any) that is, by virtue of this section, payable under subsection   16(1) or (6) or section   18 in respect of any cost, the liability to pay which arose before the commencing day, or of any expenditure incurred before that day, shall be the same as the amount that would have been payable in respect of that cost or expenditure, if this Act had not been enacted, under:

  (a)   where the liability for the cost arose, or the expenditure was incurred, before the commencement of the 1930 Act--the 1912 Act;

  (b)   where the liability arose, or the expenditure was incurred, after the commencement of the 1930 Act but before the commencement of the 1971 Act--the 1930 Act as in force when the liability arose or the expenditure was incurred; or

  (c)   in any other case--the 1971 Act as in force when the liability arose or the expenditure was incurred.

  (10)   Where:

  (a)   proceedings for the recovery of compensation under the 1912 Act, in respect of any injury suffered before the commencement of the 1930 Act, were not maintainable by a person because of section   5 of the 1912 Act;

  (b)   a claim for compensation by a person under the 1930 Act, in respect of an injury suffered after the commencement of the 1930 Act but before the commencement of the 1971 Act, was not admissible because of section   16 of the 1930 Act; or

  (c)   a claim for compensation by a person under the 1971 Act, in respect of an injury suffered after the commencement of the 1971 Act but before 1   July 1986, was not admissible because of section   54 of the 1971 Act, as that section was in force before 1   July 1986;

that person is not entitled to compensation under this Act in respect of that injury.

  (11)   Section   48 does not apply where the damages referred to in that section were recovered before the commencing day.

  (12)   Section   49 does not apply in relation to a prescribed dependant who recovered the damages referred to in that section before the commencing day.


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