The Pearson Report--compromise or step towards effective and just compensation for disability?

The setting up of the Royal Commission on Civil Liability and Compensation for Personal Injury, its terms of reference and report are discussed. The main recommendations are detailed with brief consideration of their possible impact. The proposals are assessed and the philosophy and principles behind the reform, explicit or implicit in the Report, are considered. Finally, the extent to which the proposals can be a blueprint for later reforms dealing with compensation for disability in general is discussed.