Knowledge

Vicarious Liability in Australia following Bird v DP

Vicarious liability has been an area of change and confusion in recent years. Practitioners and clients involved in child sexual abuse or other intentional tort matters will be accustomed to having attended mediations where the opposing parties advocate, each with claimed adherence to authority, completely opposite views about whether an institution will bear...

Institutional liability for sexual assault – adult victim

Facts In SMA v John XXIII College (No 2) [2020] ACTSC 211, Elkaim J of the ACT Supreme Court found that the University College defendant was liable for damages from a sexual assault perpetrated by one adult resident against another. The plaintiff was sexually assaulted while intoxicated during a “Pub Golf” event (described as having “no relationship to...