Land defenders continue their abuse of process claim against the RCMP C-IRG, September 3-11
Published by Brent Patterson on
Photo: Corey Jocko, Shaylynn Sampson and Sleydo’ Molly Wickham. Photo for The Tyee by Amanda Follett Hosgood; January 2024.
The first part of the abuse of process application was heard in a courtroom in Smithers, British Columbia on January 12-19 this year.
The second part was to take place from June 17-21 but needed to be postponed until this coming week.
The application alleges the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG) used excessive force and violated the Charter Rights of Indigenous land defenders resisting the construction of the Coastal GasLink fracked gas pipeline on Wet’suwet’en territory.
Journalist Brandi Morin also reports:
“In June and July 2022, the B.C. Prosecution Service charged 20 land defenders with criminal contempt for breaching the injunction order. Among the group, seven land defenders pleaded guilty, while charges against five others were dropped.
Three additional Indigenous land defenders, who were convicted of criminal contempt for defying the injunction terms, are currently contesting the legal process in an abuse of process application with their trial set to resume in September.”
