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Police Administration Act 1978
148FHow police tort claim is made
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148F How police tort claim is made
(1) Except as provided in this Division, a person cannot in any legal
proceeding make a police tort claim against a member but may
instead make the claim against the Territory.
(2) A person who makes a police tort claim against the Territory in any
legal proceeding may join the member who allegedly committed the
tort as a party to the proceeding only if:
(a) the Territory denies it would be vicariously liable for the
alleged tort if it were established the member had committed
the tort; or
(b) the court grants leave for the claim to include a claim for
damages in the nature of punitive damages.
(3) However, subsection (2)(a) does not require the Territory to deny it
would be vicariously liable for the alleged tort if it were established
the member had committed the tort merely because the police tort
claim includes a claim for damages in the nature of punitive
damages.
(4) If a person seeks to join a member under subsection (2) as a party
to a legal proceeding:
(a) the person is not required to file a new originating process but
may instead amend the existing originating process;
(b) the court must make the orders it considers appropriate to
enable the existing originating process to be amended; and
(c) section 162 does not prevent the making of a claim in the
amended originating process for damages against the
member for the alleged tort if the amendment is made within
2 months after the Territory denies it would be vicariously
liable for the alleged tort if it were established the member had
committed the tort.
(5) If the court grants leave for the claim to include a claim for damages
in the nature of punitive damages, the existing originating process
must be amended within 2 months after the date the court grants
the leave.
Police Administration Act 1978 155