Feds appeal ruling to compensate First Nations children
CTV
The federal government will appeal a Federal Court decision to uphold a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) order requiring Ottawa to pay out billions of dollars to First Nations children. Last month, Federal Court Justice Paul Favel decided that Ottawa had failed to demonstrate that the tribunal's ruling to compel the government to compensate every First Nations child unnecessarily removed from their home since 2006 was unreasonable.
Last month, Federal Court Justice Paul Favel decided that Ottawa had failed to demonstrate that the tribunal’s ruling to compel the government to compensate every First Nations child unnecessarily removed from their home since 2006 was unreasonable.
The case will now move to the Federal Court of Appeal.
In 2019, the tribunal argued Ottawa had “willfully and recklessly” discriminated against First Nations children living on reserve by underfunding child and family services. This led to children being taken from their communities and put into state programs.
It asks that Ottawa pay $40,000, the maximum the tribunal can award, to each child as well as their parents and grandparents.
