The lawyers, Richard Scorer of Slater and Gordon, and David Enright of Howe and Co, made the call in a letter to The Tablet.

In the letter, they say 'the Catholic Church' is failing its safeguarding responsibility and the way it treats survivors of sexual abuse.

They are particularly damning about Nichols' dual roles as leader of the Westminister archdiocese and president of the Bishops' Conference.

In their letter, Scorer and Enright state witnesses have described safeguarding in the Westminster diocese as dysfunctional and unsafe.

They also accuse the archdiocese of having a disdain for survivors.

Scorer and Enright say the responsibility for all this lies with the Nichols' leadership; the buck stops with him.

"The charge sheet against Cardinal Nichols is a long one."

"Having failed in his leadership roles in both Birmingham and Westminster, he cannot credibly lead the Catholic Church on these issues in the future."

"The systemic problems in the Catholic Church in relation to safeguarding are not capable of resolution by a single individual. But the Church needs leaders who command respect on these issues; Cardinal Nichols does not."

"It is clear to us, and those we represent, that the time has come for him to step down."

Scorer and Enright claims come following Nichols' lengthy evidence at last week's Independent Inquiry into child sexual abuse.

Evidence given at the hearing revealed

• the safeguarding office is under-resources
• the safeguarding office is dysfunctional with at one time the safeguarding officer and safeguarding advisor not talking to one another
• that the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission link person considered safeguarding in the Westminister archdiocese being in a "dangerous situation"
• that Westminister archdiocese was not a safe diocese
• the Commission's link person tried to meet Nichols but was blocked.

In the course of the hearing, Nichols revealed that now, some 12 years later, the implementation of the "Cumberlege Report"; an independent safeguarding review, is now only being organised.

Also revealed is that a code of conduct for clergy has taken 12 years to develop and is still not completed.

Baroness Nuala O'Loan, chair of the Catholic Council for Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse responded saying that it was wholly inappropriate to comment publicly while the hearing continued."

"In due course the Chair and Panel will prepare a careful and balanced report and it is wholly inappropriate to pre-empt that in any way which would undermine the work of the Inquiry."

"It is its job to weigh up and consider the matters before it, taking into account the views of the Church before doing so. CCIICSA is concerned that this letter seeks to prevent and undermine that process," said the baroness.

Nichols came away from the hearing admitting he had failed that the archdiocese had not done enough and said there was still much to be done.

He, however, said the culture of safeguarding is "radically different" from 12 years ago, but accepted there is much much more to achieve.

Earlier in the year Nichols also gave evidence to the inquiry in relation to his period as archbishop of Birmingham.

In its report on the archdiocese of Birmingham, published in June, the inquiry concluded that Nichols had defended the reputation of the church rather than protecting children amid allegations of sexual abuse.

The cardinal "focused too much on the reputation of the church during his tenure, rather than the welfare of children and the impacts of child sexual abuse on victims and survivors", the report says.

"Children could have been saved from abuse if the church had not been so determined to protect its own reputation above all else."

Sources

• The Tablet
• Church Times
• CathNews

The accusation, 20 June, came in a government inquiry report.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) concluded that children could have been saved had the Catholic Church not "repeatedly failed" to alert the police to allegations.

The report covers the time when Nichols was Archbishop of Birmingham.

It identifies that since the 1930s more than 130 allegations of child sex abuse were made against 78 people in the Archdiocese.

At least 13 have been convicted and three others cautioned.

The report says the true level of offending is probably much higher and "in some cases, the lack of action by the church meant that the abuser was free to continue to commit acts of child sexual abuse".

It also says that Nichols failed to prioritise the welfare of children over the reputation of the church.

The Chair of the inquiry, Professor Alexis Jay, says he is "truly shocked".

"Victims and survivors' allegations were mostly ignored for years, while perpetrators avoided prosecution.

"It is clear that the church could have stopped children being abused if it had not been so determined to protect its own reputation. We hope this report will help ensure that never happens again."

In particular the report identified a row between the Archdiocese and the Catholic Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults (COPCA), leading to mistrust and a poor working relationship between the two parties.

It referenced a prolonged argument regarding the identity of an anonymous priest and said Nichols should have intervened to resolve the matter.

Pointing out inadequate record keeping, survivors continue to accuse the Archdiocese as "still falling short in its child safeguarding arrangements."

"They have to get their act together. Children are inherently unsafe in that place. That's the thing that strikes terror into my heart.

"This is 2019 - I was abused 50 years ago and children are still in danger today. That can't be allowed", Peter Sanders a survivor said.

The Archdiocese of Birmingham released a statement saying: "We accept that we have failed victims and survivors of abuse and again apologise for the grievous failings we have made in the past. Apologies are just words though, if not backed up by action".

It says it will review the reports findings and noted the Archdiocese has already made changes to its practices and processes "to ensure an open and compassionate approach to victims and survivors".

Cardinal Nichols thanked IICSA for their review of the past and said that in his witness statements he addresses all the points contained in the report.

Nichols was Archbishop of Birmingham between 2000 and 2009.

Sources

• The Telegraph
• Image: BBC