Vera Baird QC MP today welcomes the judgment of the House of Lords in the Lotto Rapist Case.  The rapist was living in a bail hostel in South Bank in her Redcar constituency when he bought his winning lottery ticket from a corner shop. 

"This is good news.  The Law Lords have said that the judge in any trial should have discretion to extend the time limitation in which action can be brought.  That allows scope to meet special circumstances such as this.  It makes the law the same as in other kinds of court action, like negligence, in which judges have already had this flexibility.

"Obviously not many rapists will win the lottery, but the impact will be broader.  Many child abuse victims, for instance, cannot talk about their experiences for many years, and when they do, they find that it has been too late for a court action for damages.

"Now so long as the evidence is in place, they will have the right to ask the judge to lengthen the period of time to take account of the natural problems in coming forward to make complaints about such horrible and intimate things.

"There will no doubt be a host of other cases to which Justice can be brought by this view.  It is important to remember that the judgement on lengthening the time in which action can be brought will always be taken by a judge who knows most about it.

"There is a very good reason to have limitations on the time in which court actions can be made, because witnesses die, memories fade and sometimes justice cannot be achieved after long delay.  Consequently there will always be a need for balance, but my constituents in South Bank will be much heartened by this decision, as I am sure many people will be across the country.  

"The Law Commission had recommended this change so in addition to justice, the Law Lords have also saved us legislative time.  I applaud their decision"