North Carolina's highest court upheld on Friday a law that gave adult victims of child sexual abuse two additional years to seek civil damages, rejecting arguments that the temporary window violated constitutional protections for those facing claims that otherwise could no longer be pursued in court.

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court overturned a 2021 law that had paved the way for dozens of child sexual assault lawsuits.

Lawmakers in the state approved the law in 2021, and it was later challenged by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

The court ruled that a recently passed state law eliminating the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits involving child sexual abuse is unconstitutional.