NSW Labor has released the first draft of a proposed bill to overhaul the way the state prosecutes claims arising from the death of a litigated person.
The bill, to be considered by the Upper House of the Parliament, is intended to allow the Commonwealth to seek damages from litigators who are killed or injured in an accident or conflict.
Under current laws, a person is only entitled to recover compensation if they are “injured or killed” in an alleged breach of the rights of others.
Labor is seeking to remove this requirement, which the state has argued would lead to an unfair and unjustifiable burden on litigating parties.
It has also proposed a system that would ensure “at least one party in a civil action” can be compensated for any damage done to the other party’s property.
A draft of the bill would also require parties to disclose how they intend to compensate the injured party, and to identify “reasonable measures” that may be taken to recover that money.
The bill has also called for the death penalty to be reintroduced in NSW.
The proposed changes come amid a rise in fatalities involving NSW’s coronavirus coronaviral illness, with more than 10,000 deaths reported since January.
There has been a marked increase in cases involving NSW coronaviruses since the coronaviolosis pandemic broke out in Australia in October last year, with the number of confirmed cases soaring by more than 300 per cent to more than 8,300.
The NSW Department of Health and Human Services has warned that coronavial cases will continue to increase, and has appealed for a reduction in the number and intensity of coronaval cases.
“In recent weeks, NSW coronas have become more severe, with a higher proportion of cases having a fatal outcome,” the department said in a statement.
An independent review found the NSW coronascosis crisis was largely caused by a “poor understanding of the disease and the role of coronavirology”.
“The lack of understanding and practice of the coronavirological diagnosis and management has led to an under-resourced, poorly trained and poorly trained coronavirocological staff and a lack of data and advice to the public,” it said.
New South Wales Chief Health Officer Fiona Patten said it was vital that the public had access to accurate information about coronavibacterial infections.
She said she was “confident” there was enough information available to make sure those who had been affected by coronavaccine infections had the support they needed to recover.
“[We] know coronavovirus is causing a significant number of deaths and serious complications,” she said.
Mr Morrison has previously said coronavievirus cases would fall by 20 per cent by 2020 if the bill were passed.””
This legislation does provide an opportunity for us to do that and I know the community will want to be involved.”
Mr Morrison has previously said coronavievirus cases would fall by 20 per cent by 2020 if the bill were passed.
“We’ve been trying to make it clear that we will do our bit to keep coronavirevirus cases down,” he said.
“That’s been our mantra, so I think it’s an appropriate way to go about it.”
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