Pokies Class Action Launched Federal Court Proceedings
An application filed today in the Federal Court of Australia has listed 15 respondents including state governments, gaming machine manufacturers and industry associations.
(PRWEB) June 15, 2005 -- An application filed today in the Federal Court of
Australia has listed 15 respondents including state governments, gaming machine
manufacturers and industry associations.
Affidavits supporting the
application include evidence that documents crucial to ascertaining the
available causes of action are highly likely to disappear or be destroyed if
discovery action is not urgently taken.
Documents to be discovered
include internal government and industry memos, data compiled from the trial of
poker machines in hotels, research and social impact assessments along with
complaints from consumers and resolutions of such complaints.
Some of the
respondents including Aristocrat and IGT who have been recently involved in
legal action from disgruntled shareholders and consumers are expected to appeal
to the court against the discovery application.
Major operators including
Tabcorp and Tattersalls have been included in the court proceedings and may be
required to present documents which will identify causes of action such as
product liability including liability for inherently dangerous products, trade
practices, negligence, battery, failure to issue receipts and contractual
incapacity.
Lana O’Shanassy, the applicant representing over 500,000
consumers throughout Australia and President of Duty of Care said, “We are
asking the judicial arm of government to intervene to curb excesses of power
prevalent in this industry.”
“The gaming industry will be made
accountable on a comprehensive basis for the harm and misery its conduct and
products have caused Australian consumers and their families.”
“This
class action is the only way to fulfil the need for retribution from consumers
and their families in Australian law – to punish the gaming industry in an
amount proportional to the wrong they have caused and benefited from for over 50
years, and to lead the way towards a strong economic future without reliance on
revenue from these insidious ravening illuminated menaces of
society.”
“Enough is enough.”
Duty of Care welcome the community
and those with a conscience within the industry to join with Duty of Care to end
the problems caused by poker machines.
The public, businesses, members of
state parliament and local governments within Australia are all targets of Duty
of Care’s educational campaign about poker machines, an important electoral and
political issue.
Contact Information:
Lana
O’Shanassy
President
Duty of Care Inc
Ph: (612) 4872
3911
Douglas Knaggs
Solicitor
Douglas Knaggs Lawyers
Ph: (612)
9368 0915
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb251135.htm