The federal government has appealed a decision ordering it to compensate First Nations children removed from their homes.
The government filed the notice of appeal late Friday before the Federal Court of Appeal closes.
In 2016, the human rights tribunal found that Ottawa had discriminated against First Nations children by knowingly underfunding child and family services for those living on reserves.
Complainants in the case, first presented in 2007, claim that this has led to thousands of children being removed from their families and suffering abuse and suffering in provincial foster care systems.
The court said that each First Nations child and their parents or grandparents who were separated due to this chronic underfunding were eligible to receive $ 40,000 in federal compensation, the maximum amount they could award. .
It is estimated that about 54,000 children and their families could be eligible, which means Ottawa could have to pay more than $ 2 billion.
The court also ruled that the criteria needed to be broadened so that more First Nations children could qualify for Jordan’s Principle, a rule designed to ensure that all First Nations children living in Canada have access to goods, services. and the support they need.
In 2019, the federal government asked the Federal Court to overturn the tribunal’s decisions. Part of his arguments, according to a court summary, was that awarding individual compensation means proving individual harm.
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