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The B-C Prosecution Service says it has withdrawn criminal contempt charges against 11 more people accused of breaching a court injunction during old-growth logging protests on Vancouver Island.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

Aid agencies ask for increased funding in 2023

The request comes in a letter signed by 75 non-governmental organizations, including the Canadian chapters of groups such as Oxfam, Save the Children, Unicef and World Vision. They're asking Freeland to increase international aid funding from the $8.15 billion pledged in the last budget and to gradually ramp that figure up to $10 billion by 2025.

Aid agencies ask for increased funding in 2023

Crash near Castlegar, B.C., claims two lives

The two Nelson residents, aged 68 and 79, were in the back seat of the Toyota and died at the scene. Police say the driver and front-seat passenger were taken to hospital while the driver of the pickup truck was not badly hurt.

Crash near Castlegar, B.C., claims two lives

Border agents finds cache of weapons in B.C.

The agency says more prohibited weapons were also found at a Chilliwack home the day after the arrest. It says the list of weapons included 13 conducted energy weapons, better known as Tasers, 360 stun guns, 171 stun batons and hundreds of prohibited knives and brass knuckles.

Border agents finds cache of weapons in B.C.

Minister suggests budget deficits on way for B.C.

Premier David Eby's government has been spending what was projected as an almost $6-billion surplus from last year’s budget on pressing issues like disaster mitigation, addiction treatment and cost-of-living supports.

Minister suggests budget deficits on way for B.C.

Raccoon causes all-day recess for B.C. school

Students who weren't able to take the day off were bused to a local middle school. Conservation officers tried to get the raccoon to leave but it climbed up into the space above the ceiling tiles.

Raccoon causes all-day recess for B.C. school

VPD arrests suspect in Chinatown senior assault

Henry Paul Wiens, 52, was arrested early Saturday morning by VPD officers working in the downtown core. Wiens had been wanted since February 15 for the alleged assault of a 93-year-old man who was knocked to the ground on Main Street on October 11.