The National Redress Scheme for Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

Following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse the Federal Government has legislated to create a National Redress Scheme (NRS) commencing operation in the latter half of 2018. In Western Australia complimentary legislation was passed in the latter half of 2018 with effect from January 2019. This seminar will consider who is covered by the NRS, the procedures for applying, the expected compensation/redress and who is excluded from the scheme. In addition, some constitutional legal issues to be addressed by Federal, State and Territory governments will be discussed. It will also consider the interrelationship between the NRS and the WA criminal injuries compensation system.

Robert Guthrie is Adjunct Professor at the John Curtin Institute of Public Policy at Curtin University in Perth Western Australia. He was admitted to practice as Barrister and Solicitor in 1982. He was later Head of School of Business Law at Curtin University. He was sworn in as an Assessor for Criminal Injuries Compensation in WA in 2010.