The ACT's statute of limitations prevents civil claims being lodged if they are too old.

At one stage the time limit was six years from when a child turned 18, but in 2003 it was changed to three years.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended last year that such time limits be scrapped for historical child abuse claims.

Such limits were described as "clearly inappropriate" for survivors, whose trauma and distress makes it difficult for them to come forward.

The ACT government used the past two weeks of the sitting before October's election to push legislation through the Legislative Assembly to scrap the limits for child abuse claims.

The bill, introduced last week, was passed by parliament on Tuesday.

Attorney-General Simon Corbell said survivors often took many years to come forward, a result of the stigma, shame, and secrecy they often suffered.

"The previous limitation period of three years from the date a young person turns 18 years of age is a clearly unrealistic expectation on the part of the law," he said.

"Requiring people to come forward early in these circumstances is unreasonable, which is why the government has removed the limitation period."

The government had earlier delayed action on scrapping statute of limitations for child abuse claims.

Mr Corbell said this year he was waiting to see whether states or territories would commit to a national redress scheme to compensate victims.

But he said this month it had become clear a national redress scheme was not going to be established in the foreseeable future.