Criminal charges brought against Canada's Green Party Leader, NDP MP

May 15 2018, 12:34 am

After Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, and NPD MP Kennedy Stewart (who is now running for mayor of Vancouver), were arrested at the Kinder Morgan pipeline protest in Burnaby back in March, the BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) announced today that charges of criminal contempt against the pair have been approved.

The BCPS said that on April 11, 2018, Assistant Deputy Attorney General Peter Juk QC appointed two Special Prosecutors to handle the matters of the Members of Parliament who were arrested along with other protestors at the work site on March 23, 2108.

Michael Klein QC has been appointed to deal with the case involving Mr. Kennedy Stewart and Greg DelBigio QC has been appointed to deal with the case involving May.

Both Special Prosecutors were given mandates to conduct an independent review of
the evidence to determine whether the actions amount to criminal contempt of court.

Having now concluded the review and conducted the charge assessment, the two will now
assume conduct of the prosecutions and any subsequent appeals.

The pair were arrested for defying a court injunction that states protesters cannot obstruct, impede, or otherwise prevent access to Trans Mountain Facilities.

At the time of her arrest, May stated that she said she would “stand in solidarity with the First Nations opposing Kinder Morgan and I am keeping my word.”

Non-violent civil disobedience, she added, “is legitimate as a means of expression but it is a step I have not taken before.”

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Eric ZimmerEric Zimmer

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