The Catholic Church in California is to try to block a multi-million dollar lawsuit against an Irish paedophile priest and his superiors.
Oliver O'Grady, from Limerick, was struck off as a priest, and deported back to Ireland after serving seven years in prison for sexual abuse. He is facing a new claim by two Californians, Ms Cristin Howard-Perez and her brother, Mr Daniel Howard, who allege he abused them.
A jury has previously awarded two other members of the Howard family, Jon and James Howard, a record $30 million for sexual abuse by Father O'Grady, but a judge reduced the figure to $7.5 million.
However, the diocese of Stockton intends to fight the new claim, saying that a Californian statute that allows Ms Cristin Howard-Perez and Mr Daniel Howard to take a case is illegal under US law.
Ms Howard Perez (36) and Mr Howard (34) had tried to sue the church in 1994, but the case was struck out because they had not filed their claim by their 18th birthday, as was required under Californian law.
However, the pair are allowed to restart the case under a new Californian law that allows adults to file lawsuits for child sexual abuse, provided they filed their cases in 2003.
Attorney Paul Ballestracci said that he believes the new law would bring "chaos" into the legal system if it were allowed in court.
"The judiciary has ruled in their case and now the legislator is trying to undo what the legislator has already done. There needs to be a separation of power," he said.
However, Ms Howard Perez and Mr Howard's lawyer, Mr Joseph George, said that a court had yet to decide on the merits of their case, and the 1994 case was only struck out because of a time-lapse problem that had now been rectified.
"It allows only a one-year window for 2003, and you must show that the organisation involved, in this case the Catholic church, knew or should have know that it was putting children in danger," he said.
If the case proceeds, it will most likely hear evidence from a Californian woman, Ms Nancy Sloan, who obtained a written confession from Father O'Grady in 1984.
She previously told a jury in the Jon Howard legal suit that she passed the letter to the office of Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles.
Cardinal Mahony, the only US cardinal ever to give evidence in a child-abuse lawsuit, said that he personally had not seen the letter.
Father O'Grady was allowed free from prison on condition that he should be deported and abide by strict child-abuse prevention measures when he returned to Ireland.
His own deposition at the first Howard lawsuit shows that he was educated by the Christian Brothers in Limerick city and went to a seminary in Thurles. He left for California soon after he was ordained.