Civil Liability (Child Sexual Abuse Proceedings Against Unincorporated Bodies of Persons) Bill 2025

Public bill · Private Member · Introduced

The bill would make it easier to take civil claims for child sexual abuse against unincorporated groups such as religious orders, clubs or societies, by allowing them to be sued in their own name rather than having to identify individual members. It also lets a court use an associated trust’s assets to pay damages in some cases, and gives survivors an extra year after the law starts to bring claims that would otherwise be out of time. This matters because the current rules can make it very hard to sue these groups, even where they are effectively responsible.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to facilitate the bringing of child sexual abuse proceedings against unincorporated bodies of persons, to enable such a body to pay damages arising from such proceedings from the assets of an associated trust in certain circumstances, to extend the limitation period provided for by the Statute of Limitations 1957 in respect of certain civil proceedings arising from claims of child sexual abuse, and to provide for connected matters.

Last updated 29 June 2026