Review of the Law of Negligence

Following from the Ministerial Meeting on Public Liability Insurance on 30 May 2002, the Commonwealth in consultation with the States and Territories agreed to jointly appoint an expert panel of eminent persons to examine the law of negligence, including its interactions with the Trade Practices Act 1974.

The Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer announced the Terms of Reference and the membership of the Review Panel on 2 July 2002.

The Review will be conducted on a staged basis with two reporting dates. The Review Panel will be required to report by 30 August 2002 on issues relating to professional negligence, the reform of the TPA, limitation periods and reforms to assist not-for-profit organisations. The Review Panel would then be required to report on the remainder of items by 30 September 2002.

To assist its consideration of the law of negligence, the Review Panel welcomes submissions from interested parties on items 3(d)(f), 4 and 5 of the Terms of Reference by 2 August 2002, and on the remainder of the Terms of Reference by 2 September 2002.

The Committee is supported by a Secretariat located within the Commonwealth Treasury.