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Lawyer wants Cdn families of Sept. 11 victims to join $1-trillion lawsuit
By ANNA CZERNY 5 August 2003
TORONTO (CP) - Families of the 25 Canadians who died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, have only one month left to join a massive class-action lawsuit filed last year on behalf of the families of American victims.
The $1-trillion lawsuit, filed Aug. 15, 2002, seeks to cripple those it contends financed the plot, including the Sudanese government, some members of the Saudi royal family, and a number of banks and charities.
"This is probably the most important piece of litigation any of us could ever imagine being involved in," said Paul Miller, the Toronto-based lawyer appointed to co-ordinate the inclusion of the Canadian families.
"We're not dealing with an insurance company on the other end and just trying to give someone some money - we're trying to stop the terrorists."
Miller said it's important to get Canadians on board before Sept. 10 - a date a U.S. court has deemed as the last day to make any changes to the lawsuit.
"If we haven't amended the claim by Sept. 10 to include these people, they're out of luck on this claim," Miller said in an interview Tuesday.
"The more Canadians we get involved, the more money there's going to be to take from these people that financed the terrorists. Maybe this lawsuit will stop further attacks in the future so future families don't have to go through what these people are going through."
The Canadian families could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday, and Miller said he had not yet been contacted by anyone interested in joining the lawsuit.
Part of Miller's job includes obtaining any necessary Canadian legal documents that will help the 34-lawyer team from the U.S. prepare its case. He admitted the task ahead is daunting.
"It's not an easy case by any means, but I think it's realistic based on what I've read and what I know now."
The American legal team is headed by Ron Motley, who was the first lawyer to take on the tobacco industry in the U.S., and Alan Gerson, the main lawyer in the lawsuit against Libya and its role in the disaster of Pan Am Flight 103.
To date, about 4,000 plaintiffs, mostly American, have joined the lawsuit. Two of those plaintiffs are Canadians who are American residents.
By ANNA CZERNY 5 August 2003
TORONTO (CP) - Families of the 25 Canadians who died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, have only one month left to join a massive class-action lawsuit filed last year on behalf of the families of American victims.
The $1-trillion lawsuit, filed Aug. 15, 2002, seeks to cripple those it contends financed the plot, including the Sudanese government, some members of the Saudi royal family, and a number of banks and charities.
"This is probably the most important piece of litigation any of us could ever imagine being involved in," said Paul Miller, the Toronto-based lawyer appointed to co-ordinate the inclusion of the Canadian families.
"We're not dealing with an insurance company on the other end and just trying to give someone some money - we're trying to stop the terrorists."
Miller said it's important to get Canadians on board before Sept. 10 - a date a U.S. court has deemed as the last day to make any changes to the lawsuit.
"If we haven't amended the claim by Sept. 10 to include these people, they're out of luck on this claim," Miller said in an interview Tuesday.
"The more Canadians we get involved, the more money there's going to be to take from these people that financed the terrorists. Maybe this lawsuit will stop further attacks in the future so future families don't have to go through what these people are going through."
The Canadian families could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday, and Miller said he had not yet been contacted by anyone interested in joining the lawsuit.
Part of Miller's job includes obtaining any necessary Canadian legal documents that will help the 34-lawyer team from the U.S. prepare its case. He admitted the task ahead is daunting.
"It's not an easy case by any means, but I think it's realistic based on what I've read and what I know now."
The American legal team is headed by Ron Motley, who was the first lawyer to take on the tobacco industry in the U.S., and Alan Gerson, the main lawyer in the lawsuit against Libya and its role in the disaster of Pan Am Flight 103.
To date, about 4,000 plaintiffs, mostly American, have joined the lawsuit. Two of those plaintiffs are Canadians who are American residents.
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