Roma Refugees Asylum Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Reached

The Roma refugees class action lawsuit alleging discrimination has now reached a proposed settlement of $550,000. The Roma refugees asylum class action lawsuit settlement was proposed after the defendants, Viktor Hohots, Joseph Farkas, and Erzsebet Jaszi (now deceased), were reportedly found guilty of “failing to properly serve their clients.”The Hungarian Roma refugee claimants allege that they were insufficiently represented by the defendants due to discrimination. 

The Roma Refugees Allege Discrimination

The Hungarian Roma refugees’ filed the Roma refugees asylum  class action lawsuit after reportedly feeling cheated by discriminatory legislative policies and not being properly represented by their lawyers. The Roma refugees class action lawsuit accused the lawyers of not fulfilling their duties and transferring professional responsibilities to others to be handled. The lawyers did not complete or file the plaintiffs’ claims with suitable evidence to support their claims, nor did they file acceptable or correct information, according to the Roma refugees asylum class action lawsuit.  The claimants also accuse the lawyers of not coming to asylum hearings. 

The class members said the lawyers presented “a systemic pattern of conduct, which resulted in many of the defendant’s clients receiving inadequate and negligent service, such that they lost the opportunity to have their claims decided on their merits.”

All three Toronto lawyers were reportedly found guilty by the Ontario Law Society Tribunal of not serving their clients properly.

Roma Refugees Asylum Class Action Lawsuit Settlement

The Roma refugees asylum class action lawsuit claims that the lawyers owed a duty of care and a fiduciary duty to the class members. According to the Roma refugees asylum class action lawsuit, the class members lost the opportunity to have their claims properly determined due to negligence by the lawyers.

The recent Roma refugees asylum class action lawsuit settlement is not an admission of guilt from the defendants, but rather an agreement. 

There are approximately 900 eligible Class Members that are covered by the Roma refugees asylum class action lawsuit. The Class is made up of Hungarian refugees who were represented by the three Toronto lawyers between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2013. Claimants are eligible if their legal claim was unsuccessful or did not advance while they were represented by any of the three defendants. 

The first legal action took place in 2011. Refugee advocates and community organizations started to look into the treatment of Hungarian refugees after being notified of complaints about receiving insufficient legal representation.

The Roma refugees asylum class action lawsuit filed by five Roma refugees against the three lawyers began in 2017. The lawsuits started out as single cases but were consolidated into one lawsuit because each case revealed similar allegations.

The defendants deny all of the class members’ claims and they remain firm that they have not participated in any wrongdoing. The nature of the settlement means that no liability is pointed in the direction of the defendants. There is no admission of fault or misconduct in connection with the defendants. The Hungarian Roma refugees are reportedly content with the conclusion of the settlement and concede that it was fair and in the best interest of all of the class members. 

Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Awaiting Approval 

The Roma refugees are also seeking an apology from the Canadian government for the trouble they have gone through. 

“An apology is very important, because it’s an acknowledgment of wrongdoing that hurt our Canadian Roma community and made thousands of Roma refugees feel unwelcomed,” Gina Csanyi-Robah, the executive director of the Canadian Romani Alliance, reportedly said to the Star. “Discrimination needs to be acknowledged so we can move toward a society that will not tolerate it.”

The Roma refugees asylum class action lawsuit settlement is pending approval by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice at its hearing on Sept. 11, 2020. Aug. 20, 2020, is the last day for any class members to opt-out of the settlement and persist with their individual claims.

Top Class Actions will post the open settlement information and claim filing instructions once they become available. Click on the “Follow Article” at the top of this page to get the latest updates about the propose Roma refugees asylum class action lawsuit settlement by using your free Top Class Actions account. For the latest updates, keep checking ca.TopClassActions.com or sign up for our free newsletter.

What do you think about the Roma refugees asylum class action lawsuit settlement? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below! 

The plaintiffs are represented by Sean Brown, Candace Mak, and Jean-Claude Rioux of Flaherty McCarthy LLP and Sandra Barton and Josh Hanet of Gowling WLG LLP, and Scott Hutchinson and Ken Grad of Henein Hutchison LLP.

The Roma Refugees Asylum Class Action Lawsuits are Istvan Rezmuves, et al. v. Viktor Serhey Hohots, in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Canada; Samuel Horvath v. The estate of Erzsebet Jaszi, in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Canada; and Renata Galamb v. Joseph Stephen Farkas, in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Canada.

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