Lawyers from a leading law firm for the Marist Brothers have been subpoenaed to explain a once-confidential document showing they advised the Catholic order to keep a serial offender out of “the legal arena”, suggesting he was too honest and might implicate senior church officials.

The offender was “regrettably up front” about his interactions with senior leadership, and could not be trusted to heed “suggestions” about “not dumping on others excessively”, the document says.

The Marist Brothers, a Catholic order, holds a shocking clergy abuse record and was found by the royal commission to have shuffled religious brothers across its network of Australian schools when complaints arose, allowing them continued access to children.

The order continues to face a string of civil claims from survivors and is represented by major law firm Carroll & O’Dea, which has represented Catholic orders such as the Marist and Christian Brothers for decades.

Now, one survivor has turned their scrutiny on to the conduct of…