Claims under ss 8(1)(a) and 9(1)(a) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (Cth) cannot be determined without reference to s 120A and relevant Statements of Principles; the observations in [name withheld] suggesting otherwise are not to be followed. The definition of 'experiencing a severe stressor' in the SoPs for PTSD and Alcohol Dependence extends to being brought face to face with an event involving death in the mind (not only physically), and 'threat' of death or serious injury includes events that a reasonable person in the claimant's position would perceive as involving such a threat, even if the threat was not actual when judged with full knowledge of all circumstances. The question whether a purely subjective but objectively unreasonable perception of threat suffices was left open.
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