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LIMITATION OF ACTIONS ACT 1936 - NOTES

Legislative history

Notes

• Please note—References in the legislation to other legislation or instruments or to titles of bodies or offices are not automatically updated as part of the program for the revision and publication of legislation and therefore may be obsolete.

• Earlier versions of this Act (historical versions) are listed at the end of the legislative history.

• For further information relating to the Act and subordinate legislation made under the Act see the Index of South Australian Statutes or www.legislation.sa.gov.au.

Legislation repealed by principal Act

The Limitation of Actions Act 1936 repealed the following:

The Limitation of Suits and Actions Act 1866

Legislation amended by principal Act

The Limitation of Actions Act 1936 amended the following:

Supreme Court Act 1878

The Trustee Act 1893

Principal Act and amendments

New entries appear in bold.

Year

No

Title

Assent

Commencement

1936

2268

Limitation of Actions Act 1936

13.8.1936

13.8.1936

1948

45

Limitation of Actions Act Amendment Act 1948

22.12.1948

22.12.1948

1956

17

Limitation of Actions and Wrongs Acts Amendment Act 1956

8.11.1956

8.11.1956

1959

33

Limitation of Actions Act Amendment Act 1959

3.12.1959

3.12.1959

1972

58

Statutes Amendment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1972

27.4.1972

18.5.1972 (Gazette 18.5.1972 p1926)

1975

21

Limitation of Actions Act Amendment Act 1975

27.3.1975

27.3.1975

1993

39

Limitation of Actions (Mistake of Law or Fact) Amendment Act 1993

20.5.1993

17.6.1993 (Gazette 17.6.1993 p1974)

1994

41

Limitation of Actions (Recovery of Taxes and Substantive Law) Amendment Act 1994

2.6.1994

2.6.1994: s 2(1) except ss 3, 5 & 6—9.6.1994 (Gazette 9.6.1994 p1669)

2003

44

Statute Law Revision Act 2003

23.10.2003

Sch 1—24.11.2003 (Gazette 13.11.2003 p4048)

2004

9

Law Reform (Ipp Recommendations) Act 2004

8.4.2004

Pt 3 (ss 73—76)—1.5.2004 (Gazette 29.4.2004 p1172)

2005

50

Defamation Act 2005

27.10.2005

Sch 1 (cll 6 & 8)—1.1.2006: s 2

2005

78

Dust Diseases Act 2005

8.12.2005

Sch 1 (cl 2)—8.2.2006: s 2

2006

44

Statutes Amendment (Justice Portfolio) Act 2006

14.12.2006

Pt 18 (ss 30 & 31)—18.1.2007 (Gazette 18.1.2007 p234)

2018

14

Limitation of Actions (Child Abuse) Amendment Act 2018

27.9.2018

1.2.2019 (Gazette 22.11.2018 p4010)

2019

46

Statutes Amendment (Legalisation of Same Sex Marriage Consequential Amendments) Act 2019

19.12.2019

Pt 10 (ss 2526)—1.5.2020 (Gazette 30.4.2020 p838)

2020

41

Defamation (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2020

26.11.2020

Sch 1 (cll 2, 3 & 5)—1.7.2021 (Gazette 20.5.2021 p1398)

Provisions amended since 3 February 1976

• Legislative history prior to 3 February 1976 appears in marginal notes and footnotes included in the consolidation of this Act contained in Volume 6 of The Public General Acts of South Australia 1837-1975 at page 19.

New entries appear in bold.

Entries that relate to provisions that have been deleted appear in italics.

Provision

How varied

Commencement

Long title

amended by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)

24.11.2003

Pt 1

heading inserted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)

24.11.2003

s 2

deleted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)

24.11.2003

s 3



s 3(1)



child

inserted by 9/2004 s 73

1.5.2004

limitation law

inserted by 41/1994 s 3

9.6.1994

person through whom another person claims

amended by 46/2019 s 25

1.5.2020

Pt 1A

inserted by 14/2018 s 4

1.2.2019

Pt 2



Pt 2 heading

heading preceding s 4 deleted and Pt 2 heading inserted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)

24.11.2003

Pt 3



Pt 3 heading

heading preceding s 31 deleted and Pt 3 heading inserted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)

24.11.2003

s 32



s 32(1)

amended by 46/2019 s 26

1.5.2020

Pt 4



Pt 4 heading

heading preceding s 33 deleted and Pt 4 heading inserted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)

24.11.2003

s 33



s 33(3)

s 33(2) second sentence designated as s 33(3) by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)

24.11.2003

Pt 5



Pt 5 heading

heading preceding s 34 deleted and Pt 5 heading inserted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)

24.11.2003

Pt 6



Pt 6 heading

heading preceding s 35 deleted and Pt 6 inserted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)

24.11.2003

s 36



s 36(1a)

inserted by 78/2005 Sch 1 cl 2

8.2.2006

s 37

substituted by 50/2005 Sch 1 cl 6

1.1.2006

s 37(2)

substituted by 41/2020 Sch 1 cl 2

1.7.2021

s 37(3) and (4)

inserted by 41/2020 Sch 1 cl 2

1.7.2021

ss 37A37C

inserted by 41/2020 Sch 1 cl 3

1.7.2021

s 38

substituted by 39/1993 s 3

17.6.1993

s 38(2)

substituted by 41/1994 s 4(a)

2.6.1994

s 38(3a) and (3b)

inserted by 41/1994 s 4(b)

2.6.1994

s 38(4)



1994 amending Act

inserted by 41/1994 s 4(c)

2.6.1994

s 38A

inserted by 39/1993 s 3

17.6.1993


substituted by 41/1994 s 5

9.6.1994

s 39

amended by 44/2006 s 30

18.1.2007

s 40

amended by 44/2006 s 31

18.1.2007

Pt 7



Pt 7 heading

heading preceding s 45 deleted and Pt 7 heading inserted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)

24.11.2003

s 45



s 45(2)

amended by 9/2004 s 74

1.5.2004

s 45A

inserted by 9/2004 s 75

1.5.2004

heading preceding s 46A

deleted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)

24.11.2003

heading preceding s 47

deleted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)

24.11.2003

s 48



s 48(3a) and (3b)

inserted by 9/2004 s 76

1.5.2004

heading preceding s 50

deleted by 44/2003 s 3(1) (Sch 1)

24.11.2003

Transitional etc provisions associated with Act or amendments

Limitation of Actions (Recovery of Taxes and Substantive Law) Amendment Act 1994

6—Application of substituted s 38A

The amendments made by section 5 (substituting section 38A of the principal Act) extend to a cause of action that arose before the commencement of that section unless court proceedings based on the cause of action had been started before the commencement of that section.

Law Reform (Ipp Recommendations) Act 2004, Sch 1

1—Transitional provision

(1) The amendments made by the Law Reform (Ipp Recommendations) Act 2004 (the Ipp Recommendations Act) are intended to apply only prospectively.

(2) If a cause of action that is based wholly or partly on an event that occurred before the commencement of the Ipp Recommendations Act arises after the commencement of the Ipp Recommendations Act, it will be determined as if the amendments had not been enacted.

Example—

Suppose that A was exposed to asbestos in 1990 but a resultant illness is not diagnosed until after the commencement of the Ipp Recommendations Act. An action is then brought in negligence in which damages are claimed for personal injury. The amendments made by the Ipp Recommendations Act would not affect the determination of liability or the assessment of damages.

(3) As soon as practicable after the expiration of 3 years from the commencement of this Schedule, the Economic and Finance Committee must investigate and report to the Parliament on the effect of the Ipp Recommendations Act on the availability and cost of insurance to persons.

Defamation Act 2005, Sch 1

8—Application of amendments to Limitation of Actions Act 1936

(1) Section 37 of the Limitation of Actions Act 1936 as re-enacted by Part 5 clause 6 of this Schedule (the substituted section) applies to the publication of defamatory matter on or after the commencement of that section, unless subclause (2) provides otherwise.

(2) The provisions of the substituted section do not apply to a cause of action for the publication of defamatory matter that accrues after the commencement of that section (the post-commencement cause of action) if—

(a) the post-commencement cause of action is one of 2 or more causes of action in proceedings commenced by a plaintiff; and

(b) each cause of action in the proceedings accrues because of the publication of the same, or substantially the same, matter on separate occasions (whether by the same defendant or another defendant); and

(c) one or more of the other causes of action in the proceedings accrued before the commencement of the substituted section (a pre-commencement cause of action); and

(d) the post-commencement cause of action accrued no later than 12 months after the date on which the earliest pre-commencement cause of action in the proceedings accrued.

(3) The existing limitation law continues to apply to the following causes of action in the same way as it would have applied to those causes of action had the substituted section not been enacted:

(a) any cause of action that accrued before the commencement of the substituted section;

(b) any post-commencement cause of action to which the substituted section does not apply because of subclause (2).

(4) In this clause—

existing limitation law means the provisions of the Limitation of Actions Act 1936 that applied in relation to the limitation period for defamation actions immediately before the commencement of the substituted section.

Limitation of Actions (Child Abuse) Amendment Act  2018, Sch 1—Transitional and other provisions

1—Interpretation

In this Schedule—

Act means the Limitation of Actions Act 1936;

commencement day means the day on which section 3A of the Act came into operation.

2—Application of section 3A of Act

Section 3A of the Act applies to an action for damages on a cause of action that accrued before or after the commencement day (including where a limitation period previously applying in respect of the cause of action had expired before the commencement day).

3—Previously barred cause of action

(1) Subject to subclause (2), an action on a previously barred cause of action may be commenced even though—

(a) another action on the cause of action had been started but not finalised before the commencement day; or

(b) another action was started on the cause of action but discontinued before the commencement day; or

(c) a judgment was previously given in relation to the cause of action on the ground that a limitation period applying to the cause of action had expired; or

(d) an action on the cause of action was dismissed on the ground that a limitation period applying to the cause of action had expired.

(2) An action on a previously barred cause of action in circumstances contemplated by subclauses (1)(c) and (d) may only be commenced if a court, being satisfied that it is just and reasonable to do so, grants permission for the action to be commenced.

(3) In granting permission under subclause (2) for an action on a previously barred cause of action to be commenced, a court may make any order the court considers to be necessary for the action to proceed or otherwise appropriate in the circumstances.

(4) In this clause—

previously barred cause of action means a cause of action for an action to which section 3A applies in respect of which a limitation period applying in respect of the cause of action had expired before the commencement day.

Defamation (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2020, Sch 1 Pt 3

5—Transitional provisions—Limitation of Actions Act 1936

(1) The amendment made to section 37 of the Limitation of Actions Act 1936 by this Act applies in relation to the publication of defamatory matter after the commencement of the amendment.

(2) Section 37A of the Limitation of Actions Act 1936 (as inserted by this Act) applies in relation to the publication of defamatory matter after the commencement of the section, subject to subsection (3).

(3) Section 37A of the Limitation of Actions Act 1936 (as inserted by this Act) extends to a first publication before the commencement of the section, but only in respect of subsequent publications after the commencement.

(4) Section 37B of the Limitation of Actions Act 1936 (as inserted by this Act) applies in relation to the publication of defamatory matter after the commencement of the section.

Historical versions

Reprint No 1—17.6.1993


Reprint No 2—9.6.1994


Reprint No 3—24.11.2003


1.5.2004


1.1.2006


8.2.2006


18.1.2007


1.2.2019


1.5.2020




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