Historical Child Abuse Claims
Cameron has conducted countless historical child abuse claims over the past 20 years and is regarded as one of Scotland’s leading lawyers in this field
Most notably he proceeded with around 1,000 sexual abuse claims and physical abuse claims on behalf of clients who, when children, had suffered historical abuse in various institutions managed by Orders of the Catholic Church and local councils.
There was substantial evidence to support these historical abuse claims but the opponents defended the claims principally on the ground that they were time barred. They argued that any historical child abuse claim had to be lodged in court within 3 years of the abuse and that the victims ( many of whom were by then middle-aged) were too late to proceed.
The Court was sympathetic to these victims but ruled that the time bar law relating to sexual and physical abuse claims could only be changed by legislation through the Scottish Parliament. Cameron then campaigned for a change in the law relating to historical abuse claims and met with the Scottish Government several times to discuss how this could be achieved.
These efforts came to fruition in 2017 when the law was changed in favour of the victims.
