News
John Ellis named ALA 2014 National Civil Justice Award Winner
24th Oct 2014
A man who has led the fight to make the Catholic Church and other institutions accountable for the actions of its clergy and staff has been declared the winner of the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) National Civil Justice Award.
Lawyer John Ellis was presented with the honour at the ALA’s national conference in Sydney this morning.
ALA National President Andrew Stone said that Mr Ellis had shown unwavering diligence, passion, vision and resilience and had sacrificed much personally in his bid to shine light on the abuse which had been carried out by Catholic Church clergy and staff.
“It is no exaggeration to say that John Ellis has become a leader in the fight to bring the Catholic Church to justice and be made accountable for the actions of its clergy and staff,” Mr Stone said.
“Not only was his personal litigation a catalyst that formed a crucial part in the triggering of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, he continues to connect with and inspire survivors of abuse through his ongoing work as a lawyer.”
Mr Stone said that although Mr Ellis’s personal litigation journey did not ultimately hold the Church legally accountable, it succeeded in shedding light on the legal mechanisms used by institutions to escape liability.
“At the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, John’s experiences acted as an important case study at public hearings,” Mr Stone said.
“In giving evidence, John again illuminated how the response of the Catholic Church to allegations of sexual abuse has been inconsistent with its stated aims of providing ‘just and compassionate healing’ to survivors.
“After confronting personal adversity, he now continues to represents hundreds of victims who experienced sexual abuse at the hands of the clergy, working to ensure that they have the best possible chance of receiving the justice they deserve,” Mr Stone said.
“He has proven to the world at large that he will not be crushed or defined by his experiences, but instead will rise to every challenge. John Ellis is a true inspiration to advocates of justice and survivors alike.”
ALA’s 2014 National Conference is being held at the Crowne Plaza Coogee Beach, Sydney from Friday 24 October to Saturday 25 October 2014.
It is the premier annual event for lawyers, barristers and associated professionals with a social justice focus. The conference is attended by many plaintiff and defendant lawyers as well as representatives of the various regulators and insurers.
Conference Highlights
- Keynote Address: The role of the legal profession in access to justice. Delivered by The Hon. Sir Anthony Mason AC KBE GBM QC
- Legal avenues for redress for invasions of privacy. Presentation by Professor Barbara McDonald, University of Sydney
- The National Disability Insurance Scheme –12 Months On. Presentation by Bill Madden, National Group Practice Leader - Medical Law, Slater & Gordon (NSW), and Janine McIlwraith, Senior Associate, Catherine Henry Partners
- Human Rights of Indonesians in the Australian Justice System. Presentation by Greg Phelps, ALA Director (NT), Emily Mitchell, Legal & Policy Officer, ALA (NSW)
- Asylum Seekers – the PNG Solution. Presentation by Jay Williams, Frederick Jordan Chambers (NSW)
- Discussion of state-based workers compensation and CTP schemes, discussing harmonisation and nationalisation of those schemes
A full conference program can be downloaded here.
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