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Adoption Disclosure Defended

May 22, 2007 permalink

The lawsuit by Clayton Ruby seeking to nullify the Adoption Information and Disclosure Act is being opposed. Here is a newsletter from the group defending adoption disclosure.

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Update from the Coalition for Open Adoption Records

May 20, 2007

Dear friends:

Over the past several months our lawyers at Heenan Blaikie and the COAR Coordinating Committee have been busy preparing simultaneously for our application for intervenor status and the upcoming constitutional challenge to the Adoption Information Disclosure Act (Ontario).

We were delayed initially in making our application for intervenor status because we were waiting for the government lawyers to explain to our lawyers what their strategy in the case would be. In order for a judge to grant intervenor status, the applicant has to demonstrate that they will bring something different to the court case and will not simply repeat information provided by the other parties. We have now made our application and it will be heard by a judge later this month. Not surprisingly, our opponents’ lawyer, Clayton Ruby, has objected to COAR’s application for intervenor status. However, our lawyers are cautiously confident that we will be accepted.

Assuming that we will be granted intervenor status, our lawyers are preparing our case. We are currently busy locating experts willing to get involved and support us.

The case is scheduled to be heard on June 27– 29, 2007 in downtown Toronto. We hope that some of you will be able to come and show your support for open records by sitting in the court room. When we know further details regarding the location and time, we will let you know.

Our lawyers have indicated that this will be a long journey as it is likely that the group that loses the initial case will appeal to the Ontario Court of Appeals. We should all be prepared for a lengthy battle – It’s lucky the adoption community has so much experience in fighting long fights! We’ve been fighting for open records for over thirty years.

We will keep you informed as we learn more.

Sincerely,

Michael Grand mgrand@uoguelph.ca
Karen Lynn ccnm@rogers.com
Wendy Rowney wrowney@rogers.com

The COAR Coordinating Committee

Source: Coalition for Open Adoption Records

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