Grandpere’s love builds a Viking ship in West Pubnico | SaltWireST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The court is expected to hear evidence from the archbishop, a former child welfare director, and the former seminarian who first reported Father James Hickey’s sexual abuse of boys as the St. John’s Roman Catholic archdiocese continues fighting its insurance company over the settlement of clergy abuse claims.
As the settlement process unfolds, the RCECSJ is suing Guardian for failing to defend and cover it related to the claims.Compensation process for survivors of abuse at Mount Cashel orphanage in St. John's gets underwayThe issue was first brought to court in 1989 when a claim was filed against the archdiocese for damages from the sexual abuse of Father James Hickey, who was convicted of 20 offences involving boys while he was a parish priest in St. John’s and on the Burin Peninsula.
Guardian later agreed to sign an order requiring them to defend the archdiocese in the claims and settled with it out of court. The RCECSJ won its case at trial but lost on appeal; it applied for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada but was dismissed.RCECSJ lawyer Chris Blom told Justice Peter Browne he intends to call two witnesses: current St. John’s Archbishop Peter Hundt and a retired insurance company executive from Ontario, who will provide expert evidence by video.