Christian Brothers legal funds 'difficult', by Megan Neil, news.com.au (February 21, 2017)

The Christian Brothers say they review legal funding for brothers accused of child sex abuse on a case-by-case basis, despite spending more than $1.5 million on one convicted pedophile's numerous legal cases.

A Victorian County Court judge has said he is "blown away" that the Catholic Church still funds the legal defence for Brother Robert Best, who has been convicted of sex offences against 11 boys and this week admitted abusing a further 20 schoolboys.

The Christian Brothers had spent $1.53 million defending Best by 2015, and a combined $100,000 for two other brothers who had been convicted of abuse in Victoria's Ballarat diocese.

Province leader Brother Peter Clinch says the Christian Brothers have had a new protocol since February last year over providing legal assistance to brothers facing criminal charges directly related to their time in the order.

The protocol includes reviewing matters on a case-by-case basis at each step of the criminal process, Brother Clinch said in a statement to the child abuse royal commission released on Tuesday.

"The Brothers have had to grapple with the difficult issue of the provision of legal assistance to brothers or former brothers who have been charged with child sex offences," he said.

Brother Clinch said as part of the funding decision, he required written advice from the accused's counsel and the advice of an independent Queen's Counsel on the merits of the defence case.

He said the order takes into account the person's service as a brother, the nature and extent of the assistance sought, the circumstances of the legal matter and the person's personal circumstances including age, health and financial position.

Brother Clinch's statement, which did not mention individuals, came before his appearance on a panel of leaders of religious orders on Wednesday at the royal commission's final hearing into the Catholic Church.

The Christian Brothers Oceania Province on Monday said Best's crimes had caused great pain and suffering, after he pleaded guilty to further indecent assaults on boys between 1968 and 1988.

Victorian County Court Judge Geoffrey Chettle, who will sentence Best next month, noted the 76-year-old was still being funded by the church.

He is one of 301 brothers who have been identified as alleged perpetrators in child sex abuse claims made by 1015 people to the Christian Brothers in Australia.