Ottawa Appeals Residential School Legal Fees
Wednesday, January 17, 2007 at 13:33
Residential school survivors might have to wait beyond this year for their compensation payouts following a recent court action.
The Attorney General of Canada is appealing a Saskatchewan court ruling that approved as much as $40 million in legal fees for the Merchant Law Group.
The lawyers’ fees were part of the residential school compensation settlement that courts across the country approved late last year.
Ottawa argues the Saskatchewan court didn’t have jurisdiction to rule on that aspect of the settlement.
But Tony Merchant says this is nothing more than the government’s latest stalling tactic.
Residential school survivors were expected to get their common experience payments by August, but Merchant says this new development could push that well into next year.