A Saskatoon police officer, Const. Steve Nelson, convicted of obstruction in 2012 after he threw away a witness statement, will be getting a new trial. During sentencing last year, Judge Hugh Harradence called the witness statement “a critical piece of evidence,” and both officers admitted tossing the statement “would be highly inappropriate.” However, the court of appeal has ordered a new trial. It said the crown had to prove the officers intended to obstruct justice above and beyond making a mistake. “A simple error of judgment or an inadequate exercise of discretion does not constitute the requisite for the criminal offence of obstructing justice,” read the appeal decision. A date for the new trial has not been set.
Related Articles
Nova Scotia shooting: Families say inquiry raises more questions
Families of the victims in Canada’s deadliest mass shooting say an inquiry into what happened has left them with “more questions than answers”. The joint provincial and federal inquiry is hearing from family members and […]
Trudeau vows to freeze anti-mandate protesters’ bank accounts
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken the unprecedented step of invoking the Emergencies Act to crack down on anti-vaccine mandate protests. Mr Trudeau said the scope of the measures would be “time-limited”, “reasonable and […]
Canada trials decriminalising cocaine, MDMA and other drugs
Canada has announced it will temporarily decriminalise the possession of small amounts of some illicit drugs in British Columbia (BC). The province asked for the criminal code exemption after overdoses claimed more than two thousand […]
Be the first to comment