National

B.C. old-growth protesters celebrate as contempt prosecution has 'collapsed'

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 19 Apr, 2023 01:48 PM

The B-C Prosecution Service says it has withdrawn criminal contempt charges against 11 more people accused of breaching a court injunction during old-growth logging protests on Vancouver Island.

Gordon Comer with the prosecution service says they’re reviewing other cases affected by a court ruling back in February that acquitted protester Ryan Henderson on contempt charges due to the R-C-M-P’s failure to properly read an injunction to Fairy Creek blockaders.

Comer says charges are being reviewed on a case-by-cases basis and that the Crown is appealing the Henderson ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Lawyer Karen Mirsky, who has defended several clients facing Fairy Creek contempt charges, says the R-C-M-P’s decision to use a short-form script of the injunction went against long-standing and established legal principles, leading to the collapse of upwards of a 150 cases involving Fairy Creek protesters.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Biden visit puts defence spending under microscope

American presidents have a long history of pushing Canada to spend more on its military, including Barack Obama in a speech to Parliament in 2016. Such pressure has come as Canada consistently lags most of its allies in terms of defence spending as a percentage of its national GDP.

Biden visit puts defence spending under microscope

One man killed in West Vancouver homicide

A statement from West Vancouver police says the male victim was involved in an altercation with an unknown man just before 5 p.m. Tuesday. The statement does not confirm how the victim died.

One man killed in West Vancouver homicide

Suspect charged with mischief after more than 20 panes of glass were intentionally shattered at bus shelters: VPD

VPD officers responded to Granville and Georgia Street around 1:30 a.m. following reports that a man with a hammer was walking down the street and smashing glass at bus stops. Sergey Kurmanaev was taken to jail and has been charged with one count of mischief over $5,000.

Suspect charged with mischief after more than 20 panes of glass were intentionally shattered at bus shelters: VPD

Brace for familiar Canada-U.S. trade anxiety

The U.S. remains unhappy with how Canada has allocated the quotas that give American dairy producers access to markets north of the border. Canada and Mexico both took issue with how the U.S. defined foreign auto content. And Canada and the U.S. oppose Mexico favouring state-owned energy providers.

Brace for familiar Canada-U.S. trade anxiety

Park board has tips to 'respect' Vancouver coyotes

Coyotes are found across Vancouver and prefer sheltered, wooded areas to raise their families, so the board says it will occasionally close trails in high-traffic locations like Stanley Park where they are known to frequent.

Park board has tips to 'respect' Vancouver coyotes

Climate group urges 'made-in-Canada' response

The institute says the federal government shouldn't try to match the incentives and subsidies offered by the U.S. and instead tailor its measures for Canada. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has signalled the March 28 budget will include ways to keep Canada competitive as countries transition their economies to cleaner energy and technologies.