B.C judge says Kinder Morgan protesters to face criminal charges

A B.C Supreme Court judge has ruled that protestors that defied an injunction at Kinder Morgan’s Burnaby Terminal will face criminal charges for ignoring the law. 

A B.C Supreme Court judge has ruled that protesters that defied an injunction at Kinder Morgan’s Burnaby Terminal will face criminal charges for ignoring the law.

The charge will be criminal contempt.

More than 100 people were arrested after ignoring a court order to stay away from the Kinder Morgan facility, which at the moment, is the epicentre of protest against the $7.4 billion Trans Mountain pipeline extension project.

The project, according to Kinder Morgan, is on hold until Canada works out the spat with the province of B.C which opposes the pipeline extension.

 

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26 thoughts on “B.C judge says Kinder Morgan protesters to face criminal charges

  1. Joanne says:

    Canada has the rule of law. Civil disobedience needs to have consequence or the country would be in a state of chaos.

  2. It is about time. Canada needs to demonstrate to this country AND the WORLD that we are a country that follows the rule of LAW. We have developed beyond the Wild West! If we want to avoid chaos in our democracy we need law and order.

    Elizabeth May is a LAWYER by trade so for her to exhibit civil disobedience is a violation of her ethical and moral responsibilities as a lawyer. She is ALSO a politician. So once again she has “responsibilities” to uphold the principles that come with that post! Civil disobedience is NOT a “principle” that either a lawyer or a politician should be embracing.

    Furthermore, there should be a review by her governing bodies as to whether she should be ALLOWED to continue to have the STATUS of a lawyer / MP.
    Along with those roles come HIGHER moral and ethical responsibilities to conduct yourself in accordance with the LAWS of this country. She has clearly violated her responsibilities both as a lawyer and an MP!

  3. We have LAWS in this country and they must be obeyed or we will be in a state of chaos. We have progressed in Canada BEYOND the Wild West! It is one thing to have a civilized protest – it is quite another thing when it becomes civil disobedience.

    Politicians like Elizabeth May should know better. After all she is a lawyer!
    And BECAUSE she is a LAWYER and knows full well the concept of how LAWS work in this country she should be punished at a “more severe” level for civil disobedience than others who are legally ignorant!

  4. Canada has the rule of law. Civil disobedience needs to have consequence or the country would be in a state of chaos.

  5. It is about time. Canada needs to demonstrate to this country AND the WORLD that we are a country that follows the rule of LAW. We have developed beyond the Wild West! If we want to avoid chaos in our democracy we need law and order.

    Elizabeth May is a LAWYER by trade so for her to exhibit civil disobedience is a violation of her ethical and moral responsibilities as a lawyer. She is ALSO a politician. So once again she has “responsibilities” to uphold the principles that come with that post! Civil disobedience is NOT a “principle” that either a lawyer or a politician should be embracing.

    Furthermore, there should be a review by her governing bodies as to whether she should be ALLOWED to continue to have the STATUS of a lawyer / MP.
    Along with those roles come HIGHER moral and ethical responsibilities to conduct yourself in accordance with the LAWS of this country. She has clearly violated her responsibilities both as a lawyer and an MP!

  6. We have LAWS in this country and they must be obeyed or we will be in a state of chaos. We have progressed in Canada BEYOND the Wild West! It is one thing to have a civilized protest – it is quite another thing when it becomes civil disobedience.

    Politicians like Elizabeth May should know better. After all she is a lawyer!
    And BECAUSE she is a LAWYER and knows full well the concept of how LAWS work in this country she should be punished at a “more severe” level for civil disobedience than others who are legally ignorant!

  7. That’s a shame. Too bad the former head of ENRON Inc. who is now the CEO of Kinder-Morgan doesn’t get charged for being a criminal. We all know how that one ended.

  8. That’s a shame. Too bad the former head of ENRON Inc. who is now the CEO of Kinder-Morgan doesn’t get charged for being a criminal. We all know how that one ended.

  9. Outstanding. Give that moronic hypocrite scum a criminal record for exercising zero concern for the people of this country or its constitutional laws

  10. Outstanding. Give that moronic hypocrite scum a criminal record for exercising zero concern for the people of this country or its constitutional laws

  11. Dirty sewer from Victoria going into pacific. Do not preach environmental keepers of the Pacific when you have your own filthy secret in the waters.

    1. All previous posters please read….APTN jumped the gun on this. Criminal charges have not at this stage been approved.

      B.C. Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Affleck, who granted the injunction to keep protesters away from Kinder Morgan’s site, recommended April 9 that the “public nature of the breaches warranted criminal sanction.” B.C.’s Prosecution Service assumed conduct of proceedings and released a statement saying criminal proceedings were warranted for those who have been arrested for breaking the injunction.

      Dylan Mazur, a community lawyer for B.C. Civil Liberties Association, said proceedings starting as civil contempt transform into criminal contempt cases. The difference between the two, he said, lies in the public interest of administration of justice.

      “Once we get into the criminal realm, basically the key piece is the intent part,” said. “Did they have the knowledge of or the intent to publicly disobey the court order? If it’s going to be criminal contempt of court, the burden is on the Crown to prove this using the criminal standard of beyond reasonable doubt.”

      Read it and weep

  12. Dirty sewer from Victoria going into pacific. Do not preach environmental keepers of the Pacific when you have your own filthy secret in the waters.

    1. All previous posters please read….APTN jumped the gun on this. Criminal charges have not at this stage been approved.

      B.C. Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Affleck, who granted the injunction to keep protesters away from Kinder Morgan’s site, recommended April 9 that the “public nature of the breaches warranted criminal sanction.” B.C.’s Prosecution Service assumed conduct of proceedings and released a statement saying criminal proceedings were warranted for those who have been arrested for breaking the injunction.

      Dylan Mazur, a community lawyer for B.C. Civil Liberties Association, said proceedings starting as civil contempt transform into criminal contempt cases. The difference between the two, he said, lies in the public interest of administration of justice.

      “Once we get into the criminal realm, basically the key piece is the intent part,” said. “Did they have the knowledge of or the intent to publicly disobey the court order? If it’s going to be criminal contempt of court, the burden is on the Crown to prove this using the criminal standard of beyond reasonable doubt.”

      Read it and weep

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