Opinion ID: 2093541
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: waiver of liability

Text: Appellants argue that the waiver of liability in the application form, required by N.J.S.A. 5:12-80(b), deprives them of a potential statutory right against the State under the Tort Claims Act, N.J.S.A. 59:1-1 to 12-3. This contention misconstrues both the waiver and the Tort Claims Act. The waiver on the current form states: Pursuant to Section 80 of the Casino Control Act, an applicant or licensee waives any liability of the State of New Jersey and its instrumentalities and agents, for any damages resulting from any disclosure or publication in any manner, other than a willfully unlawful disclosure or publication. The applicant is not being forced to give up any statutory rights by signing the waiver. This language merely notifies the applicant that the Casino Control Act grants sovereign immunity to the Commission and the Division for any disclosures of confidential information other than willfully unlawful disclosures. The Tort Claims Act provides that [e]xcept as otherwise provided by this act, a public entity is not liable for an injury... N.J.S.A. 59:2-1(a). It further provides that [a]ny liability of a public entity established by this act is subject to any immunity of the public entity ... N.J.S.A. 59:2-1(b) (emphasis added). Appellants claim a right against the State for reckless or intentional disclosures of confidential information gathered in investigating the applicant under N.J.S.A. 59:2-5. That statute grants immunity to certain public entities for injuries caused by the issuance or denial of a license. However, any alleged ambiguity in N.J.S.A. 59:2-5 is irrelevant since the Casino Control Act itself grants complete immunity to the Commission and the Division for anything but a willfully unlawful disclosure. N.J.S.A. 5:12-80(b). [17] Since the Tort Claims Act states that any immunity of a public entity prevails over any liability, N.J.S.A. 59:2-1(b), the immunity granted by the Casino Control Act is dispositive. Thus appellants have been deprived of no statutory rights by the notification on the application form that the State is immune from liability for most disclosures of confidential information acquired during investigation of an applicant or licensee.