Govt Appoints Hon Paul Davison KC to Oversee Financial Redress for Lake Alice Survivors

This redress initiative underscores the Government’s commitment to acknowledging past wrongs and providing meaningful reparations for the pain endured by survivors of the Lake Alice Unit.

The Government has announced the appointment of Hon Paul Davison KC as an independent arbiter to oversee and determine financial redress for survivors of torture at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit).

In December, Cabinet allocated up to $22.68 million for redress to survivors of torture. This redress package includes three components:

1. A One-Off Financial Payment: Recognising each individual's experience of torture as a child.
2. A Written Apology: A formal, explicit acknowledgment of the torture endured.
3. Access to Support Services: Facilitating connections to support and rehabilitative services tailored to the survivors' needs.

Eligible survivors will have two payment options:

• Expedited Payment: A fixed amount of $150,000.
• Individual Payment Process: Each claim is independently assessed by Hon Paul Davison KC, who will determine the payment amount based on personal experiences.

Hon Paul Davison KC, a retired High Court judge, brings significant experience to this role. He retired from the High Court in August 2023 and has since resumed practice at the Bar, specializing in mediation and consultancy. Notably, in 1983, he served as Counsel Assisting the Committee of Inquiry into Oakley Hospital, which investigated the death of a patient following electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The chair of that inquiry, Sir Rodney Gallen, later managed the first-round settlement of $6.5 million for Lake Alice survivors.

"We wanted to ensure people have choice when going through this process," said Lead Coordination Minister Erica Stanford. "The individualised option allows survivors to opt for a payment that considers their personal experiences of torture at the Lake Alice Unit. Guided by terms of reference, Hon Davison KC will independently assess the claims of those who choose this pathway. I would like to thank him for his willingness to undertake this important role."

So far, 77 survivors of the Lake Alice Unit have been confirmed as eligible to make claims for redress. Survivors must decide by 30 April 2025 if they wish to pursue the individual payment process. For those opting for the expedited payment pathway, the deadline is 30 September 2025.

Payments for the expedited process are scheduled to begin in March 2025, with both payment processes set to conclude by the end of 2025. To support survivors through this process, all eligible individuals can access free independent legal advice.

This redress initiative underscores the Government's commitment to acknowledging past wrongs and providing meaningful reparations for the pain endured by survivors of the Lake Alice Unit.