Cornwall Inquiry billed $30M in legal costs

Lawyers for accused pedophiles, sexual abuse victims, the local Catholic diocese and other parties at the Cornwall Public Inquiry have cost Ontario taxpayers $30 million.

The commission charged with examining how public institutions responded to widespread allegations of child sexual abuse and rumours of a pedophile ring in Cornwall, Ont., spent $50.2 million by March 15, 2010 — three months after it released its final report — the Ministry of the Attorney General reported.

That makes the commission headed by Normand Glaude the most expensive in Ontario history.

Legal fees and disbursements made up around 60 per cent of the cost, CBC News has learned.

Based on figures from the Ministry of the Attorney General, of those legal costs:

The ministry said it was unable to release the detailed breakdown for the parties that were not Ontario government parties without giving them the opportunity to object, consent or make submissions to the information and privacy commissioner.

$12M in direct costs not specified

The direct costs of the commission totalled $28.7 million. Of that, $12 million was described as being tied to miscellaneous costs such as research, translation and editing, investigators, prisoner transport and IT services, but was not broken down in detail.

Of costs that were categorized, legal costs were the largest component, followed by counselling costs, staff salaries and benefits and leases and rentals. Glaude’s annual salary in 2009 was reported to be $263,009.68. The inquiry also spent more than $745,000 to design, produce, translate and print its final report.

Direct costs of the Cornwall Inquiry

[Sykvia's note:  The missing part of text in the orange portion of the pie is also missing on the CBC website]

The Cornwall Public Inquiry was established by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty in 2005 after several police investigations into sexual abuse allegations dating back to the 1950s that surfaced decades later. Its main goals were to:

-  Examine how public institutions responded to allegations of abuse and recommend changes to prevent similar situations in the future.

-  Help the community heal.

In the end, Glaude concluded that there were systematic failures in the way institutions responded, and that led to further harm to the victims. He made a long list of recommendations, urging institutions to record and investigate allegations of abuse and offer services for the victims promptly. However, he would not make a pronouncement on whether the rumoured pedophile ring existed.

With files from Mike Crawley

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Comments 

Petro905 wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 12:44 PM ETAh yes, Inquiries, the ‘all you can billing buffet’ for lawyers.

And how about that ‘slush fund’ labeled OTHER … at 42% !!!!!!
I would absolutely love to see an itemized (and fully audited) break down of that one! Only in the PUBLIC sector could you possibly be allowed to get away with that.

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WilliamStevens wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 12:24 PM ETNow i’m not admolishing religion here any more than i’m pushing for it but, if, just if, there is such a thing as heaven I won’t hesitate to say that there are at laywers and politicians will be very, very rare indeed.
Ask me why? Mainly because there would no need for ambulance chasers, inquiries, divorce lawyers, and all that other stuff that results in human misery. Nor would there be any of your need for politicians. Ask me why? Mainly because there would be no need for double-talk, expense accounts, childish outbursts in public places or, might I add, generators.
I could go on as i’m sure that there’s much more that could be added to the lists…i’ll leave that up to someone else.

As for the costs associated with this inquiry…totally over-board and I can’t really help but think how many nests were feathered and how many bank accounts fattened by just playing a part in it.

Sadly, yes very sadly the whole sorrid affair had to be dealt with but at this cost ???

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conflictofinterest wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 11:59 AM ETAs reported by Commissioner Major (Air India) today, the Canadian justice system is in need of wholesale changes. For university programs-faculties and other reliable “bodies”; I would suggest a multi-year study into the Cornwall Public Inquiry and the relationship with the Provincial/Federal governments.
Get the facts! The Cornwall Public Inquiry cost approximately twice what the Air India inquiry cost. I was satisfied with Judge Glaude’s findings (Cornwall); I was satisfied with Justice Gomery’s findings (sponsorship); I was satisfed (to a lessor degree) with Justice Jeffrey Oliphant’s findings (Airbus-Mulroney-Schreiber); what about Shwainigate…and the list goes on. The “system” then doesn’t act on the findings. When are citizen’s going to demand better.

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conflictofinterest wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 11:33 AM ET10:20am post by “kitchener01″: Your post is a reflection of your naivite and/or ignorance to say the least. You obviously have no idea surrounding the facts and you influence others with your uninformed opinion; this is the most unfortunate fact.

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Jay from Ottawa wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 11:30 AM ETEconomists world over revere our legal system for being a monstrous hole Canadians are forever obligated to throw money into.

I’ve long redefined doing something “canada style” to be doing something as inefficiently as possible as an excuse to waste money. It’s a game, it actually is, the point of the game is to waste as much money as humanly possible while keeping enough face for reelection.

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pacman13 wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 11:27 AM ETGood to know our taxes go up on July 1 with the HST, so we can pay for this sort of crap!!

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rbw001 wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 11:22 AM ETIn North America, lawyers have propped themselves up to God like stature (next to pro athletes). At least in the public sector, more power to them. When it comes down to legal services for the government, why wouldn’t we be wise to have a fee schedule. Doctors do. Is it because most politicians are lawyers so that legislation for such would never pass in the house? These legal fees are really not in line with the results that are put forth.”There were systematic failures” cost 24.9 mil. A measly 3.8 mil out of 28.7 mil was actually used for counselling while the rest of the shit was legal related. It’s no wonder we can’t get young people to take an interest and vote in elections. This is really a form of legalized corruption that will never be investigated by the brothers and sisters in the legal business. They must take some sort of oath after passing the bar exam that says “we will cheat, steal, lie and be dishonest at all times cause we are in charge of the law”. What a croc. Help wanted: Lawyer with big balls. Big enough to implement a legal fee schedule system in North America. Police protection and relocation program included. Salary 60K per year.

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LeftTheWest wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 11:18 AM ETWOW! Again, on the backs of abused kids… unbelievable.

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tired of the whiners wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 10:59 AM ETWho were the lawyers involved in this taxpayer funded winfall ??

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PANisPETERLESS wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 10:50 AM ETthis is why i’m still voting for Rob Ford for mayor he even tried to help a person who dying from aids to get him some oxycontin off the street.

to help with this mans pain

all government bodies should be held accountable for all government spending.

we want you to find the best for our buck.

we want all this shameful waste and squandering of our dollar to stop and if they people who are in power now can’t do it, then we the people will vote in the people who will

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Opinyun8ed wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 10:39 AM ETWe’ve got to re-evaluate our ongoing love affair with inquiries before we’re bankrupt.

I know, Politicians luv ‘em because it relieves them of responsiblity for acting. And many citizens cry for one everytime an issue arises because they think they’ll result in some accountabiity or corrective action.

In reality, these things rarely produce anything but lawyer fees.

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LindaClark wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 10:32 AM ETSend the bill to the Pope!!

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kitchener01 wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 10:20 AM ETWhat about suing the person who made the allegations in the first place? Why not charge them will mischief and jail them for the entire costs of this inquiry?

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zippybear wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 10:18 AM ETNo that they’ve finished screwing the kids, it’s the tax-payer’s turn…

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hemerkid wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 10:15 AM ETAbout a dozen connected lawyers got into this lawyers lottery, and they all won, posting very high legal fees.
And that’s all that happened. Talk, talk, talk and nothing much else.

For that money the old decaying part of Cornwall down by the river, from the civic complex to the College, could have been leveled and made into something useful, like a new hospital, an elder care facility, affordable housing, a park with greenspace or something similar.

People on the street know what really happened.

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wideawake wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 10:08 AM ETIf you are concerned about this inquiry, the money involved, the politics and the stench – please write to your MPP and demand Ombudsman oversight of all 53 Children’s Aid Societies in Ontario.

The public has been asking for Ombudsman oversight and all McGuinty has done is ignore this.

Read the report for a disturbing catalogue of “alleged” issues.

Enough, and further don’t let Bentley cover this with the secrecy czar either!!!!!

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48dumas wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 9:53 AM ETSo much for minimum wages for government sponsored endeavours.

I don’t mean the piddle that working stiffs get, but the maximum that should be regulated for necessary staff and interested parties.

No one should make a windfall profit from an inquest – it is a public service.

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JOHNDEE wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 9:47 AM ETThis report is all about failure — continued failure. All this money spent for a report that will be shelved — there is nothing new in the recommendations that we didn’t already know that we should have been doing. No one will be held accountable for implementing any of the recommendations and they simply will not happen. That is the saddest failure of this epic. Very important, and not to be ignored, is the failure of Mother McGuinty (she who knows what is best for me) and his gang of fiberals who lack any oversight on the expenditure of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. McGuinty lives on a different planet — he just doesn’t understand the plight of the average taxpayer and, accordingly, cannot provide any relevant direction to the government.

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jimfromsask wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 9:31 AM ETWhat does it cost annually to keep a prisoner locked up in maximum security? $100K?

Frankly I think keeping that many lawyers off the street for that long was well worth the cost of the inquiry. Otherwise they would have been out creating mischief and breeding….”shudder”

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angysdad wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 9:27 AM ETThat’s alot of $ considering that although 20 charges were laid, only one conviction came out of the entire episode.

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antiquelover wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 9:26 AM ETgood morning, I just wanted to make a comment about the terrible costs of the Cornwall inquiry. As a 13th generation Canadian and a 62 year old widow barley getting by on $15,000.00 per year I and I am sure many other seniors in this Province and Country find it simple appauling to be spending MY and OUR money so recklessly, is there no one out there (that has the financial or political means) to be a watchdog over the piggy bank of Canadaian’s. I have always considered myself someone that welcomes newcomers and their multi cultural heritage, but after listening to only three issues Carla Holmoka, Cornwall Inquiry & Air India Disaster & the killing of a 16 year old for “family dishonour”? I am beginning to think perhaps we need extremley new guidlines for aspects of our government from RCMP, Politicians to Immigration. Things have gotton too far out of control and it is shamefull that I have to suffer from inadequate government resources in order to fund and pay for the above mentioned items. I used to feel very good about being a Canadian whose ancestors have been fighting for this country from my United Empire Loyalist, WW1 & WW1 Roots to whatever you want to call this system we have today…. shame shame.

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RonJeremy wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 9:01 AM ETBusiness as usual in Canada. Another make work project for our disadvantaged souls in the legal system. Courtesy of YOU, the tax payers….

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WilliamStevens wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 8:44 AM ETI guess that I opted for the wrong profession. If there’s any such thing as an after-life, a politition or a lawyer is what I would want to be.

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Hammerthumb wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 8:43 AM ETSo a 5 year inquiry at a cost of 50.2 million. Seems like alot. But compared to 1.1Billion for the G8 and G20 over a couple of weeks…Seems like a good deal.

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theodore1 wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 8:38 AM ETThe legal community is going to have to start being responsible to the community at large and acknowledge why they got into the law in the first place. To make money.

Just think, you don’t have to start a business, all you have to do is go to law scholl for 3 or 4 years find the right cases and let the money roll in.

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wideawake wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 8:32 AM ETNone of this should be allowed to swept under the carpet under this privacy nonsense.

The office of the IPC should NOT be allowed to touch this period.

Privacy = secrecy and protecting pedophiles. Disgusting!

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brazeau boy wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 8:31 AM ETWhat is the definition of a “Public Inquiry”?

A Public Inquiry is a legal method by which certain parties are able to obtain large sums of taxpayer’s money for prolonging a process into wrondoing.

What is the definition of a “Lawyer”.

An individual that charges and maximum amount of money for doing the minimum amount of work and who eventually become a politician.

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Keith wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 8:31 AM ETMy only concern is this news is not release to stifle the findings of the inquiry.

It would make sense to send an auditor to audit the cost, and that the news coverage could have done a better job if it do some cross-national comparison of those inquires at the same scale.

Consult a few public administration and finance experts would also yield a more in-depth perspective.

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BadTiger wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 8:23 AM ETWhat a time to start charging taxes to the Catholic church… they have to get rid of their ancient mythical garbage and step into reality

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julielaflame wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 7:41 AM ETNo surprise on this finding.

WHat is surprising is that even with the proof right in front of them, there won’t be anything done about the ridicuous & often frivolous practise of billing for each and every item as though a lawyer doing the work (recently received an itemized billing from a lawyer – a photcopy costs $30? )

Maybe it’s time to regulate the lawyer “industry”

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motherhubbard wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 7:35 AM ETSure they are. During the freeze last winter I saw a lawyer who actually had his hands in his own pockets.

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RU Outa Ur Mind wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 7:24 AM ETIt’s well past the time that the billing & remuneration practices of the Legal Professions were brought under independent third-party scrutiny & control. Self-regulation of the legal elites, by the legal elites, obviously does not work in the best interests of the general public.

The price of “Justice” has become an usuriously unaffordable extravagance for any person of average working middle-class means.

If as a society we are called to respect & live by “The Rule of Law”then that rule should not be construed by the practitioners of the Legal Professions as an unrestricted licence to self-enrichment at the expense of the public.

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creatorofgod wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 7:06 AM ETI can feel my wallet shrinking……………

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Fredinmontreal wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 6:32 AM ETI am now anxiously awaiting the inquiry into “how inquiries abuse the taxpayer”

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xliminator wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 6:31 AM ETOntario will have another slush fund inquiry following that joke of an inquiry. Its a big voter make work project.

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RRatty876 wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 5:46 AM ETHo to be a lawyer now that spring is here ……….
Ho to have a forked toug and speak the truth very clear …….
Ho to have a have big bank balence that the public fork into every year …….

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liquid wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 5:41 AM ETDespite doing everything in their control to rule the world, lawyers are honest & genuine people…if you don’t believe me, just ask them!!!

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singleminded wrote:Posted 2010/06/17
at 5:33 AM ETSo, at the end of it all, $9.2M for lawyer fees and $3.7M for counseling…
Welcome to the Canadian justice system.