South Australian Current Acts

LIMITATION OF ACTIONS ACT 1936 - SECT 3A

3A—No limitation period for child abuse actions

        (1)         An action for damages relating to the death of, or personal injury to, a person resulting from the abuse of the person when the person was a child—

            (a)         may be brought at any time; and

            (b)         is not subject to a limitation period under this Act, or any other Act or law.

        (2)         This section applies regardless of whether the claim for damages is brought in tort, in contract, under statute or otherwise.

        (3)         This section extends to an action for damages—

            (a)         contemplated by section 23 of the Civil Liability Act 1936 ; or

            (b)         that has survived on the death of a person for the benefit of the person's estate.

        (4)         This section does not limit—

            (a)         any inherent, implied or statutory jurisdiction of a court; or

            (b)         any other powers of a court arising or derived from the common law or under any other Act, (including a Commonwealth Act), rule of court, practice note or practice direction.

Example—

This section does not limit a court's power to summarily dismiss or permanently stay proceedings where the lapse of time has a burdensome effect on the defendant that is so serious that a fair trial is not possible.

        (5)         In this section—

"abuse" includes any of the following:

            (a)         sexual abuse;

            (b)         serious physical abuse;

            (c)         psychological abuse related to sexual abuse or serious physical abuse.