{"id":"F2021L00920","name":"Statement of Principles concerning familial adenomatous polyposis (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 77 of 2021)","slug":"statement-of-principles-concerning-familial-adenomatous-polyposis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-77-of-202","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":440909,"registerId":"F2021L00920-fast-fetch-1775956366329","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Statement of Principles concerning familial adenomatous polyposis (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 77 of 2021)","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-generator: Aspose.Words for .NET 20.2\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n\n\n \n\nStatement of Principles\n\nconcerning\n\nFAMILIAL ADENOMATOUS POLYPOSIS (Reasonable Hypothesis)\n\n(No. 77 of 2021)\n\nThe Repatriation Medical Authority determines the following Statement of Principles under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n \n\nDated 25 June 2021\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n| The Common Seal of the Repatriation Medical Authority was affixed to this instrument at the direction of:
|\n| --- |\n|
Professor Nicholas Saunders AO
Chairperson
|\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\nContents\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Authority\n\n4 Repeal\n\n5 Application\n\n6 Definitions\n\n7 Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates\n\n8 Basis for determining the factors\n\n9 Factor that must exist\n\n10 Relationship to service\n\nSchedule 1 - Dictionary\n\n1 Definitions\n\n \n\n\n\n\n1 Name\n\nThis is the Statement of Principles concerning familial adenomatous polyposis (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 77 of 2021).\n\n2 Commencement\n\n This instrument commences on 26 July 2021.\n\n3 Authority\n\nThis instrument is made under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n4 Repeal\n\nThe Statement of Principles concerning familial adenomatous polyposis No. 39 of 2013 (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2013L01126) made under subsection 196B(2) of the VEA is repealed.\n\n5 Application\n\nThis instrument applies to a claim to which section 120A of the VEA or section 338 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 applies.\n\n6 Definitions\n\nThe terms defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary have the meaning given when used in this instrument.\n\n7 Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates\n\n(1) This Statement of Principles is about familial adenomatous polyposis and death from familial adenomatous polyposis.\n\nMeaning of familial adenomatous polyposis\n\n(2) For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, familial adenomatous polyposis means an inherited autosomal dominant syndrome caused by germ-line mutation of the adenomatous polyposis coli gene, characterised by the formation of more than 100 colorectal adenomas.\n\nDeath from familial adenomatous polyposis\n\n(3) For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, familial adenomatous polyposis, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person's familial adenomatous polyposis.\n\nNote: terminal event is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.\n\n8 Basis for determining the factors\n\nThe Repatriation Medical Authority is of the view that there is sound medical‑scientific evidence that indicates that familial adenomatous polyposis and death from familial adenomatous polyposis can be related to relevant service rendered by veterans, members of Peacekeeping Forces, or members of the Forces under the VEA, or members under the MRCA.\n\nNote: MRCA, relevant service and VEA are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.\n\n9 Factor that must exist\n\nThe factor that must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting familial adenomatous polyposis or death from familial adenomatous polyposis with the circumstances of a person's relevant service is inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for familial adenomatous polyposis.\n\n10 Relationship to service\n\nThe existence in a person of the factor referred to in section 9, applies only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, familial adenomatous polyposis where the person's familial adenomatous polyposis was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person's relevant service.\n\n \n\n \n\nSchedule 1 - Dictionary \n\nNote: See Section 6\n\n1 Definitions\n\nIn this instrument:\n\n familial adenomatous polyposis—see subsection 7(2).\n\n MRCA means the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004.\n\n relevant service means:\n\n(a) operational service under the VEA;\n\n(b) peacekeeping service under the VEA;\n\n(c) hazardous service under the VEA;\n\n(d) British nuclear test defence service under the VEA;\n\n(e) warlike service under the MRCA; or\n\n(f) non-warlike service under the MRCA.\n\nNote: MRCA and VEA are also defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.\n\n terminal event means the proximate or ultimate cause of death and includes the following:\n\n(a) pneumonia;\n\n(b) respiratory failure;\n\n(c) cardiac arrest;\n\n(d) circulatory failure; or\n\n(e) cessation of brain function.\n\n VEA means the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.\n\n \n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument repeals the earlier Statement of Principles No. 39 of 2013 (s4) and replaces it. The instrument itself does not state line‑by‑line differences, so while the formal scope is changed by repeal and re‑issue, the text here does not permit a definitive determination of how substantive scope or coverage was altered compared with the prior instrument."},"complexity_factors":["Cross‑references to Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 and MRCA for application and definitions (ss3,5; Schedule 1).","Medical‑scientific standard stated as basis for the Statement (s8) — requires interpretation of clinical evidence.","Legal threshold is the 'reasonable hypothesis' test with a single minimal factor (inability to obtain appropriate clinical management) (s9).","Causal limitation to conditions suffered or contracted before or during service, not arising out of service (s10) — narrows possible factual scenarios.","Repeal of prior Statement (No. 39 of 2013) creates potential need to compare instruments to see substantive changes (s4).","Defined technical and medical terms in Schedule 1 requiring precise application (Schedule 1).","Evidentiary and administrative burden falls on claimants to demonstrate the factor and on the RMA to assess claims (ss5,9)."],"plain_english_summary":"This Statement of Principles sets the legal test for linking familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) to veterans’ or Defence service for VEA/MRCA claims. It defines FAP medically, requires as a minimum that the person was unable to obtain appropriate clinical management (s9), and limits application to FAP suffered or contracted before or during (but not arising out of) service (s10). It affects claimants and the Repatriation Medical Authority’s assessment of entitlement, shifting evidentiary focus to access to clinical care."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument maintains the established scope of Statements of Principles under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986. It replaces a 2013 version (No. 39 of 2013) with updated drafting but does not expand beyond the original purpose of setting medical-scific criteria for linking specific conditions to service. The restrictive approach to genetic conditions (allowing only aggravation through lack of clinical management) is consistent with long-standing Repatriation Medical Authority practice."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-purpose instrument (approximately 1,000 words)","Only 7 defined terms in the Dictionary (Schedule 1)","Simple conditional structure: one factor (Section 9) with one limitation (Section 10)","No cross-references to external legislation beyond the enabling Acts (VEA and MRCA)","Clear, linear organisation with standardised Repatriation Medical Authority format","Minimal nested logic — essentially a single test with temporal and causal boundaries"],"plain_english_summary":"This Statement of Principles sets the minimum medical-legal threshold for veterans’ compensation claims for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). It applies to ADF members and related personnel claiming under veterans’ entitlements laws.\n\nIt narrowly allows service connection only where FAP pre‑existed and service worsened it or materially contributed to it — and solely if the person could not obtain appropriate medical treatment during service."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-familial-adenomatous-polyposis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-77-of-202","history":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-familial-adenomatous-polyposis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-77-of-202/history","analysis":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-familial-adenomatous-polyposis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-77-of-202/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-familial-adenomatous-polyposis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-77-of-202/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-familial-adenomatous-polyposis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-77-of-202/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/statement-of-principles-concerning-familial-adenomatous-polyposis-reasonable-hypothesis-no-77-of-202/documents"}}