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Censored?

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State laws designed to protect insurance company profits and reduce payouts to injury victims, require that we self censor what we tell you about personal injury compensation to the following:

• Our name, contact details and area of speciality (print and other "allowed publications" only);
• The operation of the law of negligence and your rights under that law (websites only);
• Our terms of service (websites only).

If we mention anything else or include any pictures or graphics, we must censor references to "personal injury". That's why we have marked some references as "censored". We can't tell you on this site anything about our experience, record or expertise nor many other things.

We want to draw attention to this unjust law the only beneficiaries of which are the government itself and a tiny section of the community: insurance company executives and shareholders.

Keeping consumers in the dark is great for insurance companies. QBE announced in February a record of $1.891 billion before tax profit for the year ending December 2009! Insurers have reaped more than $15 billion in super profits since the start of this and related laws!

Why are insurance company profits put above consumer rights? Why does government collaborate with them to keep important information from consumers?

Lawyers face being dis-barred if we make a mistake or omit to censor something. Hundreds of lawyers have already been threatened with prosecution.

The government process for getting censorship clearance is uncertain. The process adds enormous red tape and cost - the equivalent of the salary of one staff member devoted to pouring over statements and websites and seeking government clearance.

Lawyers have a public duty to speak out about unjust and undemocratic laws. Censorship of itself also carries with it a social cost.

We are conducting a public campaign and we need your support. Send a protest email to your MP or an email letter to the editor of your local newspaper.

Read our recent LegalEase article: "Lawyer's still gagged"