What is the Western Australia Stolen Wages Class Action about?
Mr Mervyn Street brought a case in the Federal Court against the Western Australian Government on behalf of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who weren’t paid all their wages or money between 1936 and 1972.
How to register to participate in the Western Australia Stolen Wages Class Action Settlement
You are automatically part of the class action if:
A) you are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person;
B) between 11 December 1936 and 9 June 1972 you lived in Western Australia and worked at some time or had your property controlled in that period;
OR
C) you are representing a family member who qualifies and has since passed away.
Group members must register for the class action to be considered for compensation money by 30 June 2024, even if they have previously told Shine Lawyers that they want to be part of the class action.
Further information about who is eligible to get compensation money from the class action is in the Settlement Notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a class action?
When Governments, large companies or institutions do the wrong thing and people are harmed or suffer loss as a result, an individual can have little to no means of bringing a legal claim.
Class actions are an important mechanism within Australia’s legal system that allow large groups of people to come together to pursue a claim collectively.
For a class action to take place, there are three criteria that need to be met:
There must be 7 or more people that have claims against the same defendant; and
The claims relate to the same or similar circumstances; and
The claim must relate to at least one common issue of law or fact.
For more information about how class actions resolve, click here.
How long do class actions take to resolve?
It can take up to several years for a class action to resolve. The time taken from case commencement through to resolution and settlement administration depends on the particular case, and the nature of the claim.
For more information about class actions and how they work, click here.
Does it cost anything to join a class action?
Shine Lawyers is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background or financial situation, has access to justice. We run our class actions in a way that means you are not exposed to any costs or financial risk, so joining a class action will cost you nothing.
When a class action is successful, the legal fees and costs to run the class action are deducted from the settlement amount that is approved by the Court. If the class action is unsuccessful, we will ensure there are no out-of-pocket costs to you.
Will my contact details be kept private?
Yes, your contact details will remain confidential and we will seek your consent before disclosing any of your personal information (including before such disclosure is required by the Court).
Shine Lawyers will only use your personal information strictly for the purpose of the legal proceedings.
Meet the Western Australia Stolen Wages Class Action team
Shine Lawyers’ Western Australia Stolen Wages Class Action team includes some of the firm’s most experienced litigators, solicitors and support staff. You can learn more about the team running this class action by clicking on their profile below.
