The Supreme Court will soon decide whether schools in St. John’s can be included in the RC Church bankruptcy.
That could see the schools, and the land they’re on, sold off to pay out sex abuse claims, the same as churches and parishes.
Almost all school land in the city is still owned by the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. John’s.
(File photo.)
That would put it in the same pot with churches and parishes that are closing, up for sale, or already sold.
But the province is pushing back hard—hanging its hat on a section of the Act that says schools are off-limits as long as they’re being used for “educational purposes.”
That was added following the end of denominational education in the late ’90s.
But in court filings, lawyers for abuse victims say the bankruptcy act and process trumps that, and the church should be free to put school land on the market.
And they’re calling out the province and Education Minister Tom Osborne for limiting assets that could pay claims, noting the church has never been compensated for use of its land.
Ironically, it was Osborne who raised that very concern as an Opposition Tory 25 years ago.
Lawyers for all parties will return to court late next week.
