Investigation: Catholic Diocese of London Priest Abuse Class Action

 Kalloghlian Myers LLP is investigating a potential class action against the Roman Catholic Diocese of London on behalf of survivors of priest abuse.

Survivors of abuse face large barriers to accessing the legal system. Class actions have assisted tens of thousands of survivors of abuse in overcoming these barriers. By banding together, survivors of abuse are stronger, and through collective action, they can seek justice.

If you are a survivor of abuse by a priest of the Catholic Diocese of London, please contact us using our confidential telephone number or email:

Garth Myers
Partner
Kalloghlian Myers LLP
(647) 969-4472
garth@kalloghlianmyers.com

Kalloghlian Myers LLP specializes in class actions on behalf of survivors of physical and sexual abuse. Its lawyers have been counsel in a number of precedent setting class actions in this area against the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the Boy Scouts, municipal police forces, the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada.

Why should I join a class action?

Class actions provide many advantages over individual lawsuits.

Class actions arising from historical sexual abuse have the ability to overcome psychological, social and economic barriers presented by individual lawsuits and indeed, are repeatedly endorsed by courts across Canada as providing meaningful access to justice and fair settlements for large groups of people.

Survivors of abuse can be elderly or in a frail emotional state. Others may not be able to devote the time and expense required to seek individual relief in the legal system, or may not even be aware that they could file a claim. Filing an individual lawsuit requires the survivor to publicly disclose details of their abuse and may require them to be cross-examined in court.

These psychological, social, and economic barriers may make it difficult or impossible for many survivors to come forward and commence lawsuits for historic sexual abuse.

Class actions are an important means of access to justice for survivors of abuse. Class actions are commenced by one individual who represents an entire group of survivors. This representative plaintiff becomes the face of the class action, who conducts the litigation on behalf of a whole group of survivors. Other class members may anonymously shelter under the representative plaintiff’s umbrella. Only if the class action is successful must class members come forward and submit claims.

Finally, a class action settlement are scrutinized by judges to ensure that they are fair, failing which they will not be approved.

Individual lawsuit settlements also often contain terms preventing the parties from disclosing the settlement. These secret settlements have the effect of ensuring that other survivors are not aware of the settlements and therefore, they do not come forward. In contrast, settlements in class actions require robust notice to the class to encourage survivors to come forward and submit claims.

And last, while settlements in individual lawsuits are typically limited to providing compensation to the individual, class actions have the capacity to provide broad based healing and reconciliation measures aimed at restorative justice.