The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled that the federal government’s $40 billion deal on First Nations child welfare did not meet all of its conditions.
In a decision unveiled on Tuesday, he asks the parties to continue their negotiations.
In 2016, the court ruled that the federal government had discriminated against First Nations children for years by failing to adequately fund child services on reserve.
Three years later, he obliged Ottawa to compensate the children concerned and their families with the maximum compensation possible, ie $40,000 per child.
The federal government, the Assembly of First Nations and lawyers who were leading two class actions on the subject had announced, in January, an agreement which provided that Ottawa would pay this amount.
However, on Tuesday, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal expressed concern about the amount of time claimants have to opt out of compensation and whether all children will receive the full amount.
Assembly of First Nations Manitoba Regional Chief Cindy Woodhouse said the court’s decision is devastating and federal ministers have also expressed disappointment.
To see in video