Reflections on a landmark judgment for institutional child sexual abuse

Dion Barber, a former ward of the state, recently won a "seismic" judgment for $2.85 million against Western Australia over sexual abuse suffered as a child in state care. Here, his lawyer Hugo Seymour reflects on the significance of the proceedings and the implications for survivors moving forward. (Content warning: This episode contains references to child sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised.)

In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Maurice Blackburn associate Hugo Seymour about his work as a historical sexual abuse lawyer and how he manages the subject matter, Dion Barber's proceedings against the state of Western Australia, the issues that the court had to resolve leading up to judgment, and why the judgment awarding Barber $2.85 million is so significant.

Seymour also delves into what the future might hold for such proceedings, how lawyers can and should interpret the significance of the judgment, and his broader thoughts about the future of such litigation, and what can be learnt from Barber's bravery in coming forward.

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