There will soon be an easier path for victims of workplace sexual harassment to pursue legal action against perpetrators.
An amendment to the Australian Human Rights Commission Act will stop federal courts from ordering victims to pay the huge legal costs if they lose the litigation.
The Costs Protection Bill, which was passed in parliament today, was added to the act to remove the financial block for victims taking their perpetrators to court.
Previously, a huge percentage of victims in Australia would avoid pursuing court action over fear of the huge adverse costs, also known as the other side’s legal bills.
Only 1 in 230,000 survivors of workplace sexual harassment bring proceedings to an Australian court, according to research by the Australian Coucil of Trade Unions (ACTU).
“It is important that people who are disadvantaged can access justice if they experience discrimination,” she said.
“It is heartening to see the Government listening to both victim-survivors and those organisations that work with the most disadvantaged to design a system that removes barriers to seeking redress from workplace discrimination and sexual harassment.”
