Court rules 2023 Child Victims Act is constitutional

Three separate cases asked the court to void the law, saying it illegally removed a statute of limitations for filing lawsuits

A 2023 state law that lifted a 20-year statute of limitations on lawsuits against public and private entities involved in incidents of sexual abuse, essentially allowing victims to file suit at any time, is constitutional.

The Supreme Court of Maryland, in a narrow 4-3 decision Monday, ruled that the legislature was within its power when it passed the Child Victims Act of 2023. The law, signed by Gov. Wes Moore (D) in 2023 opened the door to claims against private entities — most notably the Archdiocese of Baltimore — and state government agencies.

Defendants in three cases — the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, The Key School and the Board of Education of Harford County — argued the 2023 law ran afoul of a law passed six years earlier. That 2017 law, they argued, established a time restriction for filing lawsuits that in effect created a statute of limitations.

The state’s highest court was asked to decide if the 2023 law illegally stripped a vested right when it eliminated the statute of limitations for lawsuits under the act.

“Our answer is no,” Chief Justice Matthew Fader wrote in the opinion for the majority...

Court rules 2023 Child Victims Act is constitutional - Maryland Matters