Extra time given for $70m Manus settlement

A judge has given lawyers more time to finalise the distribution of the $70 million Manus Island class action to about 1700 former detainees.

Lawyers have been given more time to finish paying out a $70 million class action settlement to former Manus Island detainees.

But it is too late for about 60 people who missed the deadline to register to participate in the scheme.

Victorian Supreme Court Justice Cameron Macaulay on Tuesday gave the scheme administrators a further 21 days, until April 13, to finalise the payments.

Law firm Slater and Gordon asked for the extra time to distribute about $250,000 to seven former detainees who had not provided bank details and had been difficult to contact.

About 96 per cent or $67 million of Australia's largest human rights class action settlement has been paid to about 1700 former detainees.

The entire sum is expected to be distributed in the next two to three weeks.

Justice Macaulay rejected a separate application to allow 63 former detainees to register late as group members and participate in the settlement.

Last week the judge said he had already provided extra time for people to be added to the group.

The class action was settled by the Australian government and operators of the now-closed offshore immigration detention centre in 2017 without any admission of liability.


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Source: AAP


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