Barker Overturned by Parliament
On July 25, 2006, the Royal Assent was given to the Compensation Act 2006 which included a crucial amendment cancelling out an iniquitous decision handed down on May 3, 2006 by the House of Lords; the Barker judgment, had it stood, could have impacted on compensation payouts for many UK mesothelioma claimants.
According to Minister Baroness Ashton of the Department of Constitutional Affairs, the Compensation Act will benefit mesothelioma victims as it will: “ensure that those suffering from mesothelioma due to another's negligence will be able to receive full compensation from any responsible person as quickly and easily as possible. The responsible person will then be able to claim back contributions from other responsible persons.”1
For more information on these developments, see issue 63 of the British Asbestos Newsletter, website: http://www.lkaz.demon.co.uk/ban63.htm
August 3, 2006
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1For more details on the Compensation Act see: http://www.dca.gov.uk/legist/compensation.htm
