The start of the B.C. Legislature Raid trial for three former B.C. government staffers facing corruption charges has been delayed to May 17 from its scheduled start of May 3.
But because of a publication ban imposed by presiding B.C. Supreme Court Justice Anne MacKenzie in March on all matters connected to pre-trial hearing and other evidence previously discussed in court, reasons for the delay cannot be reported.
An official in the Court Registry told 24 Hours on Wednesday that the trial had been rescheduled to start May 17.
David Basi, Bob Virk and Aneal Basi face corruption related charges stemming from a December 28, 2003 police raid on the B.C. Legislature in connection with the $1 billion sale of B.C. Rail in November.
The publication ban stops any media from publishing or broadcasting details of what takes place in pre-trial hearings - only evidence presented to the jury in the trial can be reported.
Here is the publication ban implemented by MacKenzie:
"Vancouver Supreme Court
Registry Number: 23299
Case Name:R. v. Udhe Singh (Dave) Basi
Date: 04/03/2010
Pursuant to s. 648 of the Criminal Code and the inherent jurisdiction of the court, there shall be no publication in any document or broadcast or transmission of any evidence, submissions, rulings or Reasons for Judgment given in these proceedings in the absence of the jury until the jury renders its verdict or until further order of the Court."
As a result of this ban I am unable to report about anything that happened at the pre-trial hearing on Wednesday, including what reasons may have been given for the trial start delay, or whether any future pre-trial hearings are even taking place and when or why.
If a pre-trial hearing is scheduled it becomes public knowledge and reportable when it appears on the BC Supreme Court website scheduling section early the day of the hearing.
Bill Tieleman is a 24 hours columnist.
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BC Mary
2 years ago
BC media in crisis
.
When a trial involving government practices drags on and on, it seems obvious that there's trouble behind the scenes.
But does that justify slamming the courthouse doors on the public?
Apparently journalists risk their careers if they tell us that April 26 at 10:00 is the date of the next BC Supreme Court appearance for the three accused in the BCRail trial.
Does that sound right? Is that seeing Justice being done? I don't think so.
But we can still go to the BC Supreme Court's own listings and find out about Ian Munro, as well as details of a stay of proceedings.
That way [irony alert], we can be assured that no journalists have been harmed in presenting this Show Trial of the 21st Century.
Jim Van Rassel
2 years ago
Is this Gordon Campbells guardian "Angel"?
Now this is the same lady who made the following ruling,so don't tell me this trial isn't rigged.
"Judge MacKenzie has ruled that a full patch member of the Hells Angels who was up on cocaine charges in British Columbia isn’t a member of a criminal organization and she let him walk on the charge that he was a member of a criminal" organization.
RossK
2 years ago
We Thank Mr. Tieleman Very Much....
....For not telling us what he knows.
But.
To paraphrase a former Secretary of Something-Or-Other in the United States of America....
"....There are things that we know that Bill knows that we don't know, but there are also a whole bunch of things that we know that Bill does know, even if we are supposed to pretend that we don't...."
And this includes a most interesting alphabetical list that is extremely illuminating for many, many, many reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with the thing that we are supposed to not know, or even know that we don't know, anything about.
There is one thing that I do know however.
Which is that that list is freely available in the archives of this fine publication and that it is easily searchable.
Just don't tell anybody I told you that I know anything about it.
Because I don't.
Even if my name is NOT Sgt. Schulz.
OK?
.
crh
2 years ago
fine example
This, my fellow BCer's is a fine example of 'how to make crime pay'. See you can steal public assets and get away with it....