The Federal Government is working to ensure Australian court judgements are enforceable in the Netherlands in case Amsterdam-based James Hardie Industries tries to avoid voluntarily compensating victims of its asbestos products.

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock met with members of the Netherlands Government recently. He says the Government takes its commitment to ensuring asbestos victims are able to access just compensation very seriously.

Meanwhile, Munich Re has advised insurers to exclude silica-related diseases from their policies because claims from this exposure are on the rise worldwide and the liability risk posed to the industry is “serious”.