There is no mention of Frank Iacobucci, chair of the Iacobucci Inquiry, who received 2.5 million as fees for his role in the cases. See this site. The lawyers certainly have done well but probably without them the settlement would have been much lower. The payout to the claimants seems to be slower than that to the lawyers!
Ottawa pays $45.6M to lawyers involved in residential school cases
Last Updated: Monday, November 26, 2007 | 9:35 AM CT
CBC News
More than $45 million has recently been paid to residential school lawyers — one of the largest legal bills in Canadian history.
According to federal officials, a government cheque for $45.6 million has been sent to a consortium of lawyers — most of them in Alberta and Ontario — who had been involved in the Indian residential schools class action.
Former students like Roy Sanderson aren't impressed that, in some cases, lawyers are getting paid first.
"That hurts me. Why did they get paid first, get the money first and we never got nothing yet — the survivors, a lot of us," said Sanderson, who went to a residential school in the 1950s.
Over the past two decades, more than 12,000 former students have filed legal claims against the federal government and the churches that ran the schools for much of the 20th century. Many of the claims alleged physical and sexual abuse and said that the schools caused them to lose their language and culture.
Under a $2-billion compensation plan approved earlier this year, every student who went to school is entitled to $10,000 plus an extra $3,000 for each year the student attended.
Sanderson said he didn't benefit much from his education at the school.
"I was stuck in Grade 4 for many, many years for no reason," he said. "They put you in the barns and we used to work. They didn't give you a proper education."
Sanderson is among more than 50,000 former students who have asked for settlement money and are still waiting.
Sanderson's lawyer is Regina-based Tony Merchant, who is not among the group that has been paid. Federal officials said Merchant's legal bill, which will be at least $25 million, is still under dispute.
Showing posts with label Aboriginal residential school settlement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aboriginal residential school settlement. Show all posts
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Iacobucci: How much? 2.5 million for residential school deal
This no doubt shows that Iacobucci has experience with rights issues but 2.5 million seems a bit excessive. Perhaps retired Supreme Court justices have puny pensions!
Lawyer who got residential schools deal was paid $2.5 million
Last Updated: Monday, December 11, 2006 | 5:33 PM CT
CBC News
The lawyer who negotiated a settlement for aboriginal residential school students was paid more than $2.5 million for the work, according to documents obtained by CBC News.
Frank Iacobucci, a retired Supreme Court justice, was appointed in June 2005 to negotiate with the government, the Assembly of First Nations and the various churches involved to reach possible settlement packages.
Retired Supreme Court justice Frank Iacobucci negotiated a settlement between the government and former students at Indian residential schools.
(Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press) According to documents obtained through access to information requests, Iacobucci was paid up to $200,000 per month, plus expenses, for his work. The money was for his expertise and the assistance of two junior lawyers in his office.
The rate is more than the "standard" range Ottawa pays, according to the documents. A lawyer with more than 20 years experience is normally paid between $150 and $200 an hour.
Calls to Iacobucci's Toronto law firm were not returned.
'Significant amounts'
Regina lawyer Tony Merchant, who represents many former students, called the amount surprising.
Continue Article
"But certainly nobody knew about this — or nobody within the First Nations community knew about this. These are just significant amounts."
Merchant's law firm has been promised between $25 million and $40 million under the terms of the settlement for its work. Merchant said his firm spent 10 years on cases and had more than 100 lawyers working on them.
Deal reached in May
An estimated 100,000 aboriginal children lived in the once-mandatory system of residential schools from 1930 to 1996. Many were forced to leave their families and attend the schools, and many suffered physical and sexual abuse while there.
For more than a decade, former students of Indian residential schools were pursuing lawsuits against Ottawa and churches for damages relating to their experiences. However, litigation was slow and only a few cases were settled.
The former federal Liberal government appointed Iacobucci in 2005 to help reach a compensation package. Part of his job was also to study the creation of a national truth-and-reconciliation forum to give survivors a chance to tell their stories.
A deal announced in May offers any former student a lump sum of $10,000 each, plus $3,000 for each year spent in the schools. Statistics Canada estimates there are 80,000 people alive today who attended
Lawyer who got residential schools deal was paid $2.5 million
Last Updated: Monday, December 11, 2006 | 5:33 PM CT
CBC News
The lawyer who negotiated a settlement for aboriginal residential school students was paid more than $2.5 million for the work, according to documents obtained by CBC News.
Frank Iacobucci, a retired Supreme Court justice, was appointed in June 2005 to negotiate with the government, the Assembly of First Nations and the various churches involved to reach possible settlement packages.
Retired Supreme Court justice Frank Iacobucci negotiated a settlement between the government and former students at Indian residential schools.
(Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press) According to documents obtained through access to information requests, Iacobucci was paid up to $200,000 per month, plus expenses, for his work. The money was for his expertise and the assistance of two junior lawyers in his office.
The rate is more than the "standard" range Ottawa pays, according to the documents. A lawyer with more than 20 years experience is normally paid between $150 and $200 an hour.
Calls to Iacobucci's Toronto law firm were not returned.
'Significant amounts'
Regina lawyer Tony Merchant, who represents many former students, called the amount surprising.
Continue Article
"But certainly nobody knew about this — or nobody within the First Nations community knew about this. These are just significant amounts."
Merchant's law firm has been promised between $25 million and $40 million under the terms of the settlement for its work. Merchant said his firm spent 10 years on cases and had more than 100 lawyers working on them.
Deal reached in May
An estimated 100,000 aboriginal children lived in the once-mandatory system of residential schools from 1930 to 1996. Many were forced to leave their families and attend the schools, and many suffered physical and sexual abuse while there.
For more than a decade, former students of Indian residential schools were pursuing lawsuits against Ottawa and churches for damages relating to their experiences. However, litigation was slow and only a few cases were settled.
The former federal Liberal government appointed Iacobucci in 2005 to help reach a compensation package. Part of his job was also to study the creation of a national truth-and-reconciliation forum to give survivors a chance to tell their stories.
A deal announced in May offers any former student a lump sum of $10,000 each, plus $3,000 for each year spent in the schools. Statistics Canada estimates there are 80,000 people alive today who attended
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