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Limitation of actions    

​Reference received: 5 March 1984 

This reference is part of the Community Law Reform Program

Report

Report 50: Limitation of Actions for Personal Injury Claims [PDF, 264Kb], October 1986

Tabled in parliament: 1 December 1986

Legislative action: Limitation (Amendment) Act 1990 ​

Judicial citation: Swan v Williams (Demolition) Pty Ltd (1987) 9 NSWLR 172, 184​; Briggs v James Hardie & Co Pty Ltd (1989) 16 NSWLR 549, 565; Brisbane South Regional Health Authority v Taylor(1996) 186 CLR 541, 552-553 (McHugh J); Torrens Aloha Pty Ltd v Citibank NA(1997) FCR 581; Girando v Girando (1997) 18 WAR 450; Henricks v Agnew (1997) 26 MVR 277; De Nicola v Giannacopoulos (NSW SC, No 14079/96, Master Greenwood, 21 March 1997, unreported), 3; Gysen v St Lukes Association (Tas, Supreme Court, M26/97, Zeeman J, 11 August 1997, unreported), 7; Boon v Seba Sheetmetal Pty Ltd (Tas, Supreme Court, No 95/97, Cox CJ, 22 August 1997, unreported), 3; Sydney City Council v Zegarac (1998) 43 NSWLR 195; Paramasivam v Flynn (1998) 90 FCR 489; Smith v Department of Defence (NSW SC, No 12035/96, Sperling J, 6 April 1998, unreported), 37; Wright v Australian Associated Motor Insurers Ltd [1999] NSWSC 208 [27]; Beazley v Sedlacek [1999] ACTSC 129 [24]; Geary v Stack [2000] NSWSC 11 [12]; Bartlett v Bartlett (2000) 96 FCR 584 [8]; National Mutual Life Association of Australasia Ltd v Reynolds [2000] FCA 267 [166]; DA v The Queen [2000] ACTSC 58 [89]; Jones v Royal Hospital for Women [2001] NSWCA 410 [48]; Pomeroy v Thwaites Witham Pty Ltd (2001) 79 SASR 489 (SASC), 504; Burk v The Commonwealth (No 2) [2002] VSC 464 [15]; BP Australia Ltd v Brown (2003) 58 NSWLR 322 (NSWCA) [111]; Bjelica Investments Pty Ltd v T C Waters Pepper & Co Pty Ltd [2003] NTSC 67, [29]; Woolcock Street Investments Pty Ltd v CDG Pty Ltd(2004) 205 ALR 522; O'Neill v Foster (2004) 61 NSWLR 499, [30 [31] Stephenson v State of Queensland [2004] QCA; New South Wales v Higgins [2005] NSWCA 244, [19]; Newcastle City Council v Batistatos(2005) MVR 381 (NSWCA) [59]; Wrightson v Queensland[2005] QCA 367 [40]; Taylor v Paulson[2005] BCSC 1249;   Queensland v Stephenson[2006] HCA 20 [45];   Leonard v Gaincrew Pty Ltd [2007] NSWSC 1408 [84]; R v The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd [2007] VSC 482 footnote 51; Commonwealth of Australia v Smith [2007] NSWCA 168 [48]; B v Murray [2007] SLT 605 [42] (Scotland, Court of Sessions); In the matter of Pan Pharmaceuticals Ltd (in liq): B rennan v McGrath [2011] NSWSC 561 [70]; Weston v Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd[2011] NSWSC 433 [173]; New South Wales v Radford [2010] NSWCA 276 [87]-[89]; Fulton v Fulton [2014] NSWSC 619 [240]; Morris v BHP Coal Pty Ltd [2014] QSC 96​     

Terms of reference

To inquire and report on the following matters:

  1. Whether section 60 of the Limitation Act 1969 should be amended to allow the Supreme Court to grant extensions of time to sue in respect of death claims on the same terms as that currently existing for other personal injury claims.
  2. Whether the Limitation Act 1969 should be reconsidered generally insofar as it applies to personal injury claims, to ascertain the need for an additional general discretion under this legislation broad enough to allow courts to prevent a particular injustice which might arise in the application of specific clauses.
  3. Any incidental matter.

Note: ​See also Reference 17 Limitation of actions