Latest news with #BCProsecutionService
Global News
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Still no decision on hate charges for B.C. woman 1 year after praising Hamas attack
Canadian Jewish groups are questioning why B.C. prosecutors have taken more than a year to decide whether a woman who made explosive comments at a Vancouver rally last year should face hate crime charges. Vancouver police arrested Charlotte Kates and recommended she be charged with wilful promotion of hatred and public incitement of hatred for an April 29, 2024 speech at the Vancouver Art Gallery in which she praised the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel as 'heroic and brave.' Kates further led the crowd in a chant of 'Long live Oct. 7,' and called for the delisting of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and several other groups as terrorist organizations, describing them as 'resistance fighters' and 'heroes.' Kates' own group, the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, was later itself declared to be a terrorist entity by the Canadian government. Story continues below advertisement 1:58 Police raid Vancouver home of international coordinator of declared terrorist group But despite the Vancouver police recommendation, the B.C. Prosecution Service has yet to decide whether or not to approve charges 13 months later. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Aron Csaplaros, B.C. regional manager for B'nai Brith Canada, called the delay 'concerning.' 'It's really in the hands of the BC Prosecution Service and the attorney general of British Columbia to approve charges, because for the charge of wilful promotion of hatred, the attorney general or the deputy attorney general does have to sign off on that charge,' he said. 'This ongoing inaction raises serious questions about enforcement and protections for vulnerable communities in general, not just the Jewish community.' In a statement, BC Prosecution Service communications counsel Damienne Darby said the 'matter remains under charge assessment, and I am unable to provide a timeline for completion.' Story continues below advertisement Former Crown prosecutor Rob Dhanu, K.C., who is not involved with the case, questioned why the prosecution service has yet to make a decision. 2:20 Iran gives human rights award to B.C. activist 'Here, the smoking gun, so to speak, is the video. And the video essentially shows what Ms. Kates said at that time. So the evidence is straightforward,' he said. 'The prosecution service has not really provided any real reason as to why this case is taking so long to determine whether it should be charge-approved or not.' Dhanu said if it proceeded to trial, the case could hinge on whether prosecutors could prove that Kates' statements went beyond an expression of opinion, and into incitement. 'Section 319 of the (Criminal) Code is very specific in that the Crown has to have evidence to show there is a likelihood because of that hate speech is that the peace will be breached,' he said. Story continues below advertisement 'Really, it is Ms. Kates expressing her opinion, it is not a black-and-white case in terms of the facts. For instance, if Ms. Kates said, well look, Israel doesn't have the right to exist, and to facilitate that, we should be attacking synagogues, we have a very direct cause and effect where we can see why people would follow what she's saying and follow what she is asking for. Here it's far more grey.' Global News is seeking comment from Samidoun. — with files from Rumina Daya
Global News
22-05-2025
- Global News
B.C. Crown prosecutors file workload grievance over ‘inadequate staffing'
The BC Crown Counsel Association says it has filed a formal workload grievance against the BC Prosecution Service over what it calls 'inadequate staffing' in its Okanagan and Kootenay offices. The association representing 550 Crown prosecutors across B.C. says that while staffing and resource shortages impact all of its lawyers, issues in Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton, Nelson and Cranbrook are 'particularly acute.' 2:34 Video released of attack on crown prosecutor It says the prosecution service has continuously breached its collective agreement with respect to managing staffing levels. Story continues below advertisement The association says that paired with an increasing workload in those growing communities, the issue is harming prosecutors' ability to prepare and bring cases to court in a timely manner. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy It says it is now seeking an arbitrator's declaration that the employer has breached the contract and must meet its contractual obligations by hiring more staff. Adam Dalrymple, president of the BC Crown Counsel Association, says the region needs 20 more Crown counsel to handle the current workload, representing a 25 per cent increase. 2:15 B.C. Prosecution Service releases bail data 'Our job is to uphold the rule of law in B.C. and keep the public safe to the very best of our ability,' he says in a news release. 'However, the workload is excessive, and a shortage of Crown Counsel threatens our ability to bring cases to court on time.' Story continues below advertisement Dalrymple says the conditions are also causing burnout among its members. 'These working conditions affect our ability to attract and retain more Crown Counsel,' he says. The prosecution service did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
17-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Vancouver officer charged a year after pedestrian strike in Downtown Eastside
VANCOUVER - The BC Prosecution Service says a Vancouver police officer has been charged under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving without reasonable consideration for others, a year after a pedestrian was hit in the city's Downtown Eastside. The prosecution service says Const. Aaron Carter faces the charge after B.C.'s police watchdog was called in to investigate the crash. The Independent Investigations Office said in a statement at the time that a man was walking on East Hastings near Dunlevy after midnight on May 21, 2024, when he was hit by a police vehicle. A statement from the office last year says the man was taken to hospital with serious injuries, and it forwarded a report to the prosecutor's office, saying there were reasonable grounds to believe the officer may have committed driving offences. The prosecution service says the charge was approved by an 'experience Crown counsel with no connection' to the officer. Carter's first appearance in Vancouver provincial court is set for June 18. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.
Toronto Star
16-05-2025
- Toronto Star
Vancouver officer charged a year after pedestrian strike in Downtown Eastside
VANCOUVER - The BC Prosecution Service says a Vancouver police officer has been charged under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving without reasonable consideration for others, a year after a pedestrian was hit in the city's Downtown Eastside. The prosecution service says Const. Aaron Carter faces the charge after B.C.'s police watchdog was called in to investigate the crash. The Independent Investigations Office said in a statement at the time that a man was walking on East Hastings near Dunlevy after midnight on May 21, 2024, when he was hit by a police vehicle. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW A statement from the office last year says the man was taken to hospital with serious injuries, and it forwarded a report to the prosecutor's office, saying there were reasonable grounds to believe the officer may have committed driving offences. The prosecution service says the charge was approved by an 'experience Crown counsel with no connection' to the officer. Carter's first appearance in Vancouver provincial court is set for June 18. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
09-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Five youth plead guilty in 2024 swarming of girl in Kelowna, B.C.
KELOWNA - Prosecutors say five youth involved in a violent swarming of a girl in Kelowna, B.C., last year have entered guilty pleas. Damienne Darby, a spokeswoman for the BC Prosecution Service, says one young person pleaded guilty to one count of assault in January and was handed a sentence of two years' probation in April. Darby says four other young people have since entered guilty pleas to the same charge, with court appearances scheduled in June and July. The offenders cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Video captured the violent swarming of the girl last September at Gyro Beach on Okanagan Lake, where police said about 30 people were present. The video shows a girl grabbing the victim and shoving her to the ground before another punches her several times about the head, while others in the crowd kick at the girl, then laugh as she lies immobile on the ground. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2025.
