Veterans lose nuclear damages bid in UK
A UK court has ruled that a class action brought by 800 British veterans over the tests at Maralinga and the Montebello islands cannot proceed because of the time that has elapsed,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych].
More than 8000 Australians were used as unprotected guinea pigs during the testing program and the 300 or so who are left were ready to join the British action led by Cherie Blair,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], QC,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the wife of former prime minister Tony Blair.
Nuclear veteran Alan Batchelor of Canberra said the judgment was a setback but there was still hope because the British action involved just one case. "They seem to think there is still a chance to continue," Mr Batchelor said.
The 82yearold, who has suffered a breakdown in his immune system,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], was a young lieutenant with an engineering group when he spent six months at Maralinga in 1957.
After one test involving a "dirty" nuclear bomb,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], he was ordered to the bomb site 15 minutes after the blast to collect debris. He wore no protection for the hour that he spent at the site exposed to a plume of deadly cobalt 60 and airborne plutonium 239.
"No records were ever kept of the dosage levels we were exposed to," he said.
Lawyer for the victims Michael Giles, from Sydneybased firm Stacks Goudkamp, said the 43 decision of the British Supreme Court was a significant blow to the case.
The majority of judges ruled that despite the 60 years that had passed since the tests,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], there was still insufficient evidence to prove the veterans' health problems were caused by exposure to radiation.
Mr Giles said lawyers were poring over the 80page judgment to see if there was an opening for another attempt.
"It is very difficult to get expert evidence to back their claims," he said.
"Sadly, it doesn't look good at this point; but we are still looking at it."
In 1993, the Keating Labor government accepted a $50 million exgratia compensation payment from Britain to settle all future Maralinga claims; but not one dollar of it has been paid to any veteran of the testing regime.
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