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ABC News
ABC News
National

Compensation reform for institutional child abuse survivors comes into effect in South Australia next week

Attorney-General Kyam Maher says bringing the laws in sooner will make a substantial difference to survivors. (ABC News)

Laws allowing survivors of child abuse to sue institutions for compensation will come into effect in South Australia on Monday. 

ABC News reported earlier this month that the state had not set a commencement date for laws passed last year allowing abuse survivors to sue institutions for compensation.

SA Attorney-General Kyam Maher told ABC Radio Adelaide this morning the laws would come into effect on Monday, two months earlier than estimated.

"It is pleasing that we've been able to move that forward," he said.

Under the new laws, abuse survivors will be able to sue institutions that put their assets in trusts, or are unincorporated organisations such as some churches.

The laws also allows courts to set aside previous settlements, allowing survivors to reopen a claim.

The amendments were recommended in 2015 by the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Abuse, and South Australia was the last to pass the legislation in some form.

Mr Maher said the laws had been expected to come into effect in October, and a delay of two months can make "a substantial difference".

"So this was something we were really keen to see just how quickly we could get this done, knowing that it does dramatically affect people's lives," he said.

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