Sep 17, 2020

Loretta Merritt quoted in several publications on Roman Catholic diocese appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada

Loretta Merritt was quoted in several publications regarding her client, Irene Deschenes' decades-long legal battle. Deschenes was sexually abused by a priest as a child.

Sep 11, 2020

Loretta Merritt will be speaking at the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association 2020 Fall Conference

Loretta Merritt will be speaking at the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association fall conference on October 23, 2020. She will be presenting "Sexual Abuse: Developing a Claim for Vicarious Liability" with Claire Wilkinson of Martin & Hillyer Associates.

Sep 04, 2020

Loretta Merritt was a guest on The Happy Lawyer Podcast

Loretta Merritt was recently a guest on The Happy Lawyer Podcast with host, Catherine Shearer. Loretta shares the wisdom she has gained over her 33 year career at Torkin Manes.

Aug 06, 2020

Loretta P. Merritt interviewed about new rules for institutional abuse cases

Loretta P. Merritt was interviewed by Orillia Matters regarding Attorney General Doug Downey’s new omnibus bill which introduces more stringent rules, making it difficult to sue institutions through class-actions.

Aug 04, 2020

Loretta P. Merritt spoke to Collingwood Today on abuse victims struggling with the class-action process and outcome

Loretta P. Merritt spoke to Collingwood Today on abuse victims from the Huronia Regional Centre struggling with the class-action process and outcome.

Jul 06, 2020

Loretta Merritt to speak at Ontario Trial Lawyers Association Webinar on July 16

Loretta Merritt to speak at Ontario Trial Lawyers Association Webinar on Practical Considerations for Representing Plaintiffs in Sexual Abuse Cases.

May 21, 2020

Loretta Merritt wins landmark Court of Appeal case setting aside an 18 year old settlement

An Ontario appeals court has dismissed a bid by the Diocese of London to fight a lower court's decision to throw out a settlement involving a victim of child sexual abuse.

Apr 13, 2020

Maple Leaf Gardens sex abuser Gordon Stuckless has died

Gordon Stuckless responsible for sexually assaulting more than 40 boys over decades at Maple Leaf Gardens has died. Torkin Manes' Personal Injury lawyer, Loretta P. Merritt has represented dozens of people who were sexually abused as children at the Maple Leaf Gardens.

Feb 28, 2020

Torkin Manes partners with Abuse Hurts to hold a winter clothing drive benefiting Indigenous women

On February 26, 2020, Torkin Manes partnered with Abuse Hurts and five other Bay Street law firms to hold a winter clothing drive to benefit Indigenous women who have been the victims of abuse. Indigenous women experience abuse at significantly greater rates than other women in the province and are forced to flee their homes to escape abuse without proper winter clothing to keep them warm.

Feb 28, 2020

Loretta P. Merritt wins precedent setting Grenville Christian College class-action suit

Torkin Manes' Personal Injury lawyer, Loretta P. Merritt, and Sabrina Lombardi of McKenzie Lake Lawyers, win the landmark Grenville Christian College class-action suit. It is the first common issues trial in a class action for historical abuse.

Jan 16, 2020

Loretta Merritt speaks to CTV News about Gordon Stuckless release

Hamilton residents and members of city council are reacting to news that convicted sex offender, Gordon Stuckless, is living in a halfway house in the city.

Sep 23, 2019

Loretta Merritt in the Law Times on the recent ruling in Ontario court that a cap on general damages does not apply to sexual abuse

The Ontario Superior Court has awarded general damages in excess of the cap in a sexual assault case, a first for the province, say lawyers. Known as the trilogy, three cases from the late 1970s – Andrews v. Grand and Toy Alberta...

Sep 18, 2019

Loretta Merritt quoted in several publications as the trial begins for class-action alleging Christian private school abuse

Facebook Twitter Email Reddit LinkedIn Lawsuit says Grenville Christian College near Brockville didn't look after students

Sep 12, 2019

Loretta Merritt quoted in several publications on a class-action lawsuit alleging systemic abuse at defunct private Christian school in Ontario

A group of former students are set to take the private Christian school they attended to court next week, alleging in a class-action lawsuit that they were subjected to psychological abuse designed to erode their sense of safety. The certified cla...

Jun 04, 2019

Loretta Merritt quoted in the Law Times about mediations being the best way to respond to allegations of sexual misconduct

Mediation and other less adversarial methods continue to be the best ways to respond to allegations of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment and sexual abuse, say lawyers.

Apr 17, 2019

Former Kingsville fire chief Robert Kissner convicted of nine sex-related charges- Kissner used his position as fire chief to groom subordinates, some of whom were high school co-op students

A former local fire chief is likely facing some jail time after being convicted of sex-related offences. Former Kingsville Fire Chief Robert Kissner was found guilty of five counts of sexual assault and four counts of sexual exploitation, in a jud...

Mar 25, 2019

Loretta Merritt speaks to Ben Mulroney on CTV’s Your Morning about a lawyer for the Children’s Aid Society saying a 14 or 15 year old is a sexually mature woman and not a child

A 14- or 15-year-old girl is not a child, but rather a “sexually mature young woman,” according to a lawyer for a Northern Ontario children’s aid society. The statement by Toronto lawyer Gary McCallum is contained in a July 2018 ...

Mar 25, 2019

Loretta Merritt interviewed by the Toronto Star about case involving Kenora C.A.S. where their lawyer says a 14 or 15 year old is a sexually mature woman

A 14- or 15-year-old girl is not a child, but rather a “sexually mature young woman,” according to a lawyer for a Northern Ontario children’s aid society. The statement by Toronto lawyer Gary McCallum is contained in a July 2018 ...

Dec 07, 2018

Loretta Merritt speaks to CBC News about the re-opened London Diocese sexual abuse case settlements

In a rare legal decision, a judge has set aside an 18-year-old settlement in a civil lawsuit that child sexual abuse survivor Irene Deschenes signed with the Diocese of London, saying the church failed to disclose key information about previous sexual assault allegations that would have drastically changed the terms of the settlement.

Nov 22, 2018

Between Friday, November 16 and Friday, November 23, Loretta Merritt was interviewed extensively by various radio and television news media regarding the situation at St. Michael’s College School

Between Friday, November 16 and Friday, November 23, 2018, Loretta Merritt was interviewed extensively by various radio and television news media regarding the situation at St. Michael’s College School including: CBC News Network (with Suhan...

Other Resources

Featured Video