David Shoebridge MLC delivers Joseph McCabe lecture on The Ellis Defence
By Chris Sutton
David Shoebridge MLC will deliver this year’s Joseph McCabe lecture on the 24th of October, titled The Ellis Defence and its Aftermath.
Mr Shoebridge will discuss the bill he drafted to the NSW government that will allow victims of the church to sue for compensation.
The name of the lecture refers to John Ellis, a victim of abuse at the hands of a deceased assistant priest. He lost a high court case against the Catholic Church in 2007.
Church assets are placed in statutory trusts, which are immune from claims of abuse. Mr Shoebridge told City Hub about the issue that has been on his radar since he came into parliament.
“Our position is that parliament has an obligation to get rid of unfair legal obstacles that stop victims of abuse gaining fair compensation.”
Mr Shoebridge’s lecture will cover the Ellis case and the two pieces of legislation that are being proposed.
“The Ellis Defence is used by a number of churches, but mainly the Catholic Church, to protect their assets. This is a matter we’ve raised repeatedly, it is indefensible, and we’ve got a bill that will require churches to meet the cases of victims on their merits, not on legal technicalities.”
The lecture will be held at The Sydney Mechanics Institute at 6pm.
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