Victims’ families boycotting N.S. mass shooting inquiry over questioning of Mounties

Article content material

TRURO, N.S. — The kinfolk of victims of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass taking pictures have informed their legal professionals to boycott the general public inquiry investigating the tragedy, after its commissioners determined to forestall cross-examination of key Mountie witnesses.

Article content material

The legislation agency representing 14 of twenty-two households issued an announcement saying it was instructed to not attend the hearings on Wednesday and the following three hearings on the schedule. Patterson Legislation stated the households are “disheartened and additional traumatized” by the fee’s choice Monday to forestall their legal professionals from straight questioning Employees Sgt. Brian Rehill and Sgt. Andy O’Brien.

Rehill was the RCMP’s danger supervisor at its Operational Communications Centre in Truro, N.S., when the rampage that claimed 22 lives over two days started in close by in Portapique, N.S., on April 18, 2020. When the centre obtained stories of an lively shooter, Rehill assumed command whereas O’Brien assisted in overseeing the early response.

Article content material

Josh Bryson, a lawyer who represents the household of victims Peter and Pleasure Bond, attended hearings Wednesday however stated his shoppers have instructed him to not attend the hearings involving Rehill and O’Brien.

“It is a particular setback … It’s undoubtedly not an excellent factor. We’re not going to be there to query in our personal voices on behalf of the households,” stated Bryson, standing outdoors the inquiry.

The federal-provincial fee of inquiry agreed Monday to offer particular lodging for 3 senior Mounties after they testify about command selections they made because the tragedy unfolded.

Rehill and O’Brien will face questions from fee legal professionals through Zoom calls that might be recorded and broadcast at a later date. Contributors and legal professionals who want to observe their testimony should stay off display screen with their microphones muted whereas every Mountie is talking.

Article content material

No causes got for the particular preparations. The fee has stated this data is taken into account personal as a result of it offers with bodily or psychological well being wants.

Collaborating legal professionals had been informed to submit questions for Rehill and O’Brien to fee legal professionals prematurely of the officers’ testimony, which is predicted to happen on Monday and Tuesday, starting with Rehill.

Lawyer Tara Miller stated her shoppers have given her directions to not attend this week and subsequent week.

“Along with being essentially offside, what this choice does is additional erode the boldness of members of the family who’re essentially the most affected,” she stated in an interview Wednesday.

“These are people who put kids to mattress alone at evening. These are the people who rejoice Mom’s and Father’s days with recollections.”

Article content material

Miller stated it has been her consumer’s place all alongside that taking part legal professionals must be allowed to have interaction in unfettered however acceptable cross-examination of witnesses.

“That may be a basic tenet of any sort of a litigation continuing, and that features public inquiries,” Miller stated.

Miller stated she has filed authorized arguments however they haven’t been addressed by the fee. She stated authorized texts make it clear it’s inappropriate for fee counsel to each ask questions and conduct cross-examinations, given the truth that they’re supposed to stay impartial.

She stated her consumer just isn’t against lodging for witnesses. “However lodging that take away the flexibility to ask acceptable cross-examination questions … That’s not acceptable to us.”

Article content material

Miller stated cross-examination of Rehill might be central to the inquiry’s function.

“This was the person who had command of the complete first response,” she stated. “The selections that he made and why he made them, these are all questions which might be extremely related.”

In the meantime, Employees Sgt. Al Carroll — former district commander for Colchester County — is predicted to testify Thursday through a stay Zoom name. He might be supplied with breaks throughout his look, the fee stated Tuesday. He might face direct cross-examination.

The Nationwide Police Federation and the federal Division of Justice had requested that O’Brien and Rehill be allowed to offer their data by sworn affidavit and that Carroll testify in individual with questions requested solely by fee counsel.

Article content material

The fee confirmed Tuesday it obtained a complete of six requests for lodging. One request was rejected and the fee agreed that two different witnesses might testify as a part of a panel. These witnesses weren’t named.

Fee chairman Michael MacDonald opened the listening to on Wednesday by discussing the choice on lodging, saying he didn’t count on they might stop the gathering of “crucial data” from the Mounties.

MacDonald, former chief justice of Nova Scotia, stated that the fee has to keep in mind the mandate to be “trauma knowledgeable.” Nonetheless, he didn’t present particular causes on why having legal professionals cross-examine witnesses would create trauma for the Mounties.

Employees Sgt. Bruce Briers took the witness stand Wednesday. He was the danger supervisor who oversaw the RCMP dispatch in Truro in the course of the second day of the rampage on April 19, 2020.

This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Might 25, 2022.

— With information from Michael MacDonald in Halifax.