22 Dec 2010

Landmark ruling on disabled care to be challenged

8:00 pm on 22 December 2010

The Government has confirmed it's looking to appeal against a landmark court ruling on special payments for the families of disabled adults.

Nine parents brought a case against the Ministry of Health seeking to receive the same payment for looking after their disabled adult children as other caregivers get.

Earlier this year, a decision by the Human Rights Review Tribunal said the families were being discriminated against.

The Health Ministry appealed against the ruling, but on Friday the High Court dismissed its case.

Now the Solicitor-General, David Collins QC, has confirmed he is seeking leave to appeal against that decision.

Crown Law says the issues of law in the ruling have significant implications for other Bill of Rights cases, stretching far wider than the health and disability sector.

The Solicitor-General's application will be lodged in January.