A class-action suit is being given the green light on claims Ontario failed to protect the legal rights of abused children in its custody.
A recent Superior Court ruling granted the first step in the certification process. The proposed lawsuit seeks damages on behalf of thousands of Crown wards, dating back to 1966.
None of the claims have been tested in court.
Co-lead counsel Christopher Watkins says he thinks the case is well suited to the northwest region, and to be heard here in the city for the entire province of Ontario. He says up here we have the advantages of accessing a new court system and judges on a timetable that makes it significant to the local people affected.
Watkins says they’re fully prepared to push the claim forward through a major trial. (File photo)