An international spotlight is shining starkly on Australia this
weekend as representatives from the United Nations, Germany,
Switzerland, Poland, Chile, the UK, the US and Australia are gathering
in Chicago for a three-day conference on sexual assault and the Catholic
Church.
As the Australian speaker at this conference I am, inter alia, highlighting the fact that Australia continues to be the only country in the common law world in which there is no legal entity for the Catholic Church (and some other religious organisations) that can be sued by victims for the historical sex crimes of its clergy. This burdensome barrier to justice holds firm, despite the royal commission making a sound and easily implemented recommendation that, unless a proper defendant with sufficient assets to meet its liability is nominated by the church authority, then the property trust (the only legal entity that does exist) can be sued.
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/victorian-government-should-change-law-to-allow-catholic-church-to-be-sued-20160623-gpqaoo.html
As the Australian speaker at this conference I am, inter alia, highlighting the fact that Australia continues to be the only country in the common law world in which there is no legal entity for the Catholic Church (and some other religious organisations) that can be sued by victims for the historical sex crimes of its clergy. This burdensome barrier to justice holds firm, despite the royal commission making a sound and easily implemented recommendation that, unless a proper defendant with sufficient assets to meet its liability is nominated by the church authority, then the property trust (the only legal entity that does exist) can be sued.
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/victorian-government-should-change-law-to-allow-catholic-church-to-be-sued-20160623-gpqaoo.html