NationTalk: Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Garden River First Nation have commenced a court application against the lawyers for the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund. The application says that the lawyer’s fees were too high and it asks the court to reduce them (the “Assessment Application”).

The Litigation Management Committee of the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund has also commenced a court application.

The application asks about the legal status of the settlement money held by the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund. The aim is to determine what steps should

be taken before distributing the money to beneficiaries (the “Trust Application”).

On April 22, 2024 the trustees of the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund approved $510 million in legal fees to its lawyers. The lawyers agreed to keep $255 million and give $255 million to certain causes associated with the Robinson Huron Treaty First Nations.

The lawyers’ fees will be paid from the $10 billion settlement for past annuities owed to beneficiaries of the Robinson Huron Treaty. This means that all fees paid to

the lawyers are coming out of the funds for beneficiaries, which may affect you and your First Nation. The first step in the Assessment Application asks the court to decide whether to assess the lawyers’ fees.

Additionally, there is a question about whether the remaining settlement funds are assets of the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund, which could mean that additional steps are required before they can be distributed to beneficiaries. The court is being asked to provide directions to the trustees on this point.