Sir, - Your article: "Hospital wanted to settle case-master" (The Irish Times, February 20th) caught my attention: "In New Zealand and Canada, a no-fault compensation system existed," he said. "The State picks up the tab. Because of that the parents do not seek retribution against the hospital."
I am a federally appointed judge in Ontario (Canada's largest province). No "no-fault compensation scheme" exists here for negligently damaged babies. It does not exist in other provinces of Canada either, as far as I know.
Within the past month, a negligence award for damages was made to a damaged baby and its parents of 5,000,000 Canadian dollars, somewhere over £2 million. - Yours, etc., Michael R. Meehan,
Justice, Court House, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.