Time Limit Bar on Child Abuse Claims Upheld by Maryland Justices

A Maryland law retroactively eliminating the statute of limitations for survivors of child sexual abuse to bring civil lawsuits is constitutional, the Maryland Supreme Court ruled.

“This Court has never had occasion to determine whether the expiration of an ordinary statute of limitations creates a vested right to be free of liability. We hold that there is no such vested right,” Chief Justice Matthew Fader wrote Monday for the 4-3 majority.

The decision comes from three consolidated cases seeking to hold institutions and individuals liable for sexual abuse, which the plaintiffs brought after the enactment of the 2023 Child Victims ...