Feds appeal decision that cleared way for Afghanistan vets lawsuit over benefits

OTTAWA – The Harper government says it intends to appeal a B.C. court ruling that cleared the way for a class-action lawsuit involving veterans of Canada’s war in Afghanistan.

A group of ex-soldiers is taking Ottawa to court, alleging that the federal government’s new system of compensating veterans violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The government’s new veterans charter eliminated the lifetime disability pension for disabled soldiers and replaced it with lump-sum payments.

The veterans say the new disability payments are paltry compared to awards given to those who fought in previous wars, and don’t keep up with worker’s compensation claims — or even civil settlements in personal injury cases.

Don Sorochan, the lawyer for the soldiers, says he had hoped the government would allow the case to proceed and be decided on its own merits.

He calls the fight over whether the soldiers have the right to sue a stalling tactic —one he says could end up in the Supreme Court and delay the case for years.