The $70m Manus Island class action deal

THE $70 MILLION CLASS ACTION BY MANUS ISLAND DETAINEES:

WHAT IS IT?

* Class action claim for compensation on behalf of 1923 current and former detainees, covering majority of people held at Manus Island Regional Processing Centre since 2012

* Settled for $70 million plus costs (estimated $20 million)

* Largest human rights class action settlement in Australia and first successful one

* Must be approved by Victorian Supreme Court

* Majority of compensation relates to false imprisonment, but also damages for negligence

* Time spent in detention impacts individual compensation amounts, as well as any physical and psychological injuries

* 816 men remained in centre as of July

* Class action launched by Slater and Gordon in December 2014

HOW MANY DETAINEES SUPPORT THE SETTLEMENT?

* 1346 detainees registered to be part of settlement

* 148 group members lodged objections by August deadline; 127 of them also registered to participate in settlement if it is ultimately approved

* A further 14 lodged objections after deadline; eight of whom registered in case settlement approved

* 56 group members have asked for more time to opt out, which would preserve their legal rights to take separate action

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

* September 4 court hearing for submissions about approval/objections

* Judge's decision will be announced later

* Registrations remain open until September 25

* Lawyers hope to get funds distributed to detainees before centre closes October 31

WHO WAS THE ACTION AGAINST?

* Commonwealth of Australia

* Service providers G4S, between October 2012 and March 2014, and after that date Broadspectrum (formerly Transfield)

* Broadspectrum's security provider Wilson Security was a third party

* Settled without any admission of liability - government strongly refutes and denies all the claims

WHAT WAS THE NEGLIGENCE CLAIM?

* That detainees suffered physical and psychological injuries as result of conditions in which they were held at Manus Island

* Covered the period from November 21, 2012, to December 19, 2014 - including February 2014 riots in which one detainee died

WHAT WAS THE FALSE IMPRISONMENT CLAIM?

* That detainees were unlawfully held on Manus, given 2016 PNG Supreme Court ruling that detention on Manus was unconstitutional and therefore illegal

* Covered November 21, 2012, to May 12, 2016.