Proposed Aussie Law Targets General Insurance Contracts
The Australian Minister Assisting for Deregulation and the Assistant Treasurer issued the following information regarding the use of the general insurance contracts in the nation located in the Southern Hemisphere.
Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury has released for public comment draft legislation which will amend the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 to give consumers protection against unfair contract terms in such insurance contracts.
"Australia's recent flood and fire disasters and extreme weather events highlight the general need for consumers to have confidence that their insurance policy will not unfairly favor the insurer should a claim be made," Bradbury said. "These reforms will ensure that consumers will have the same protection from unfair contract terms in some insurance contracts as is available for consumers of other financial products and services."
The key elements of the draft legislation are the new unfair contract terms regime will apply to typical insurance contracts on an equivalent basis to the regime applying to other financial products or services in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001. The new regime is modified appropriately for contracts of general insurance. The legislation also would enable consumers and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to take action for unfair terms in a standard form consumer contract of basic insurance, such as seeking a court declaration that a term is unfair. A court will have access to a range of remedies in such circumstances.
Another provision enables an insurer found by a court to have an unfair term will be in breach of the duty of utmost good faith and will not be able to rely on the term; and the ASIC will be given powers to enforce unfair contract terms for typical insurance contracts by reference to the enforcement and investigation powers it has in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001. The amendments will apply to standard form consumer contracts of general insurance entered into, or renewed, on or after the commencement day, and to terms varied on or after the commencement day. The commencement day will be 12 months after the day the Act receives Royal Assent, giving general insurers a transition period to review their standard form consumer contracts for unfair terms.
"The release of this draft legislation shows the Government is committed to continuing the consultative process for these reforms,” said Bradbury. “I encourage all interested stakeholders to express their views."
The exposure draft legislation and explanatory material are available on the Treasury website and can be viewed by anyone without paying a fee or entering passwords. The measure might be enacted as early as June but likely will take much longer to not only enact but also to take effect. Lawmakers have been assessing various elements of the proposed bill and have sought public as well as expert comment on the bill that would regulate insurance markets in the land Down Under. But the regulation would enable the nation’s lawmakers to better determine whether or not rates are charged fairly and justly.
Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury has released for public comment draft legislation which will amend the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 to give consumers protection against unfair contract terms in such insurance contracts.
"Australia's recent flood and fire disasters and extreme weather events highlight the general need for consumers to have confidence that their insurance policy will not unfairly favor the insurer should a claim be made," Bradbury said. "These reforms will ensure that consumers will have the same protection from unfair contract terms in some insurance contracts as is available for consumers of other financial products and services."
The key elements of the draft legislation are the new unfair contract terms regime will apply to typical insurance contracts on an equivalent basis to the regime applying to other financial products or services in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001. The new regime is modified appropriately for contracts of general insurance. The legislation also would enable consumers and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to take action for unfair terms in a standard form consumer contract of basic insurance, such as seeking a court declaration that a term is unfair. A court will have access to a range of remedies in such circumstances.
Another provision enables an insurer found by a court to have an unfair term will be in breach of the duty of utmost good faith and will not be able to rely on the term; and the ASIC will be given powers to enforce unfair contract terms for typical insurance contracts by reference to the enforcement and investigation powers it has in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001. The amendments will apply to standard form consumer contracts of general insurance entered into, or renewed, on or after the commencement day, and to terms varied on or after the commencement day. The commencement day will be 12 months after the day the Act receives Royal Assent, giving general insurers a transition period to review their standard form consumer contracts for unfair terms.
"The release of this draft legislation shows the Government is committed to continuing the consultative process for these reforms,” said Bradbury. “I encourage all interested stakeholders to express their views."
The exposure draft legislation and explanatory material are available on the Treasury website and can be viewed by anyone without paying a fee or entering passwords. The measure might be enacted as early as June but likely will take much longer to not only enact but also to take effect. Lawmakers have been assessing various elements of the proposed bill and have sought public as well as expert comment on the bill that would regulate insurance markets in the land Down Under. But the regulation would enable the nation’s lawmakers to better determine whether or not rates are charged fairly and justly.