Latest news with #privateprosecution
Sky News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Comedian facing case brought by antisemitism charity over 'messages he sent to woman'
US comedian Reginald D Hunter is being privately prosecuted by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) over posts he sent to a woman, a court heard. The 56-year-old stand-up is accused of three counts of sending an offensive communication to Heidi Bachram on X on 24 August, 10 September and 11 September last year. He was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday but Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram issued a warrant for him to attend court on 7 July in his absence. Prosecutor Donal Lawler told the court that Hunter is a "well-known comedian" who is being privately prosecuted by the charity. It is alleged Hunter sent a computer-generated sexual image to Ms Bachram in August last year, with the charges claiming it was "grossly offensive". It's alleged that he then sent two antisemitic messages in the following days. Mr Lawler told the court on Friday that the comedian was due to begin a tour of England and Wales tomorrow. The prosecutor said Hunter was scheduled to do a gig in London on 6 July, adding that his legal team may be able to serve him his court summons in person at the venue on that date. The CAA describes itself as an organisation of volunteers which works to "expose and counter antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law". Stephen Silverman, the group's director of investigations and enforcement, said: "This is one of a number of private prosecutions that we are bringing, and there will be more to say on the case in due course."
CBC
26-05-2025
- CBC
Private prosecution trial of Manitoba live-horse exporter adjourned
Social Sharing A two-day trial for a Manitoba farm that exports live horses was adjourned Monday on the day after the defence successfully argued a late disclosure of documents could negatively affect their ability to properly cross-examine an expert witness and defend their client. It's believed to be the first case of the rarely-used private prosecution connected to farmed animals. A private citizen applied for a charge to be laid against Carolyle Farms, a live-horse exporter in Swan River, Man., and a judge granted the request last year. The case involves an air shipment of live horses from Winnipeg to Japan in December 2022. The plane was scheduled to stop for a crew change and refuelling in Anchorage, Alaska, but it had to find an alternate route due to a blizzard. Combined with delays in Winnipeg, it's alleged the shipment exceeded the 28-hour maximum time live horses can be transported without food, water and rest. In February 2024, a provincial court judge allowed one charge to be laid against Carolyle Farms. The charge was brought forward by Camille Labchuk, the executive director of the non-profit Animal Justice, and falls under a section of Canada's Health of Animals Regulations, which requires a contingency plan in cases where unforeseen circumstances or delays could lead to an animal's death, injury or suffering. On Monday, provincial court Judge Stacy Cawley granted Labchuk's lawyer Dan Stein's request to amend the wording of the charge from "failed to implement a contingency plan" to "failed to have a contingency plan." In asking for an adjournment on the day the trial was set to start, defence lawyer Lindsay Mulholland raised concerns about the late disclosure of some documents last week and Sunday evening. In particular, the discussion centred around the prosecution's notes that include details about the advocacy of their animal welfare expert witness, Renee Bergeron, such as petitions she has signed in favour of changing legislation surrounding the export of live horses. Mulholland argued she needed more time with the information to prepare for her cross-examination of the witness. Judge Cawley granted the adjournment, saying it came down to fairness. "I appreciate from the private prosecutor's perspective, some of the information may be easy to digest with a view to moving the matter forward," Cawley said. "However, it is a dangerous practice for the court to assume that they know and understand any strategy decisions and considerations that defence wishes to make." "The recent information concerning the proposed expert and the degree of her advocacy raises, it's obviously potentially relevant to independence and impartiality concerns that govern expert opinion evidence." The decision to adjourn the trial was disappointing to Labchuk. "We were very concerned that the CFIA [Canadian Food Inspection Agency] did not enforce laws designed to protect horses during transport," Labchuk said outside the law courts in Winnipeg. A group of animal welfare organizations — including Animal Justice, the Winnipeg Humane Society, the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition and Manitoba Animal Save — had initially filed a complaint with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency about the alleged incident, but it ended without penalty, which is what prompted the group to pursue private prosecution. New dates for the trial will be set in early June.
