27/07/2026

The announcement by Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) that it will assume responsibility and liability for all current and future legal proceedings involving the Christian Brothers, as well as claims made through the National Redress Scheme, is welcome, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

“We were appalled last month when the Trustees of the Christian Brothers announced that they would be unable to pay the civil claims of abuse survivors. That announcement rightly led to close scrutiny of the Christian Brothers’ assets and complex financial arrangements,” said Michel Margalit, National President, Australian Lawyers Alliance.

“We will await the Court’s final determination of the proposed plan, but we are hopeful that this development will help ensure justice for people who were abused while in the care of the Christian Brothers.

“We also expect this decision will serve as a reminder to other institutions that they need to accept full responsibility for historical abuse across all their entities and remain accountable for properly compensating survivors.

“These are not abstract legal concepts. They concern children who were harmed by people in positions of trust and in circumstances where the Church failed in its duty of care.

“Every procedural tactic used to delay or avoid compensation compounds that original betrayal. In this case, it has also caused unnecessary distress and uncertainty for survivors.

“The plaintiff legal community will match every resource deployed by any institution seeking to avoid its responsibility to pay compensation. We remain unwavering in our commitment to ensuring that those who were harmed receive the justice they have waited far too long for.”