Connect with us

Canada News

Impact on RCMP is unclear after entrapment ruling in B.C. terror trial: lawyer

Published

on

John Nuttall with Amanda Korody (screenshot from RCMP footage)

John Nuttall with Amanda Korody (screenshot from RCMP footage)

VANCOUVER—It’s unclear what the impact on law enforcement will be in the wake of a landmark court decision that slammed the RCMP for investigative methods it used during an elaborate undercover operation into two terrorist suspects, a legal expert says.

Micheal Vonn of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association said police would do well to reconsider their anti-terrorism tactics after Friday’s B.

C. Supreme Court ruling tossed out guilty verdicts against John Nuttall and Amanda Korody.

“It certainly signals to the police that these kinds of initiatives are going to be scrutinized by the court in a very rigorous fashion, including when they involve charges that are terrorist in nature,” Vonn said in an interview.

“That is a very important signal.”

Nuttall and Korody were arrested in July 2013 as part of a police sting after planting what they believed were pressure-cooker bombs at the B.C. legislature on Canada Day. A jury found them guilty of terrorism-related charges in June 2015.

On Friday, Justice Catherine Bruce ruled the RCMP had entrapped Nuttall and Korody into carrying out a police-manufactured crime, describing it as something the couple could never have planned, let alone executed, without the help and coercion of undercover officers.

Vonn described the ruling as both obvious and courageous, and said the fact that such an expensive operation floundered in court will likely provide a strong impetus for police to make changes, if only from a dollars-and-cents point of view.

“You hate to boil this down to cost effectiveness, but we’re talking about an extremely costly initiative,” Vonn said.

“The only result here achieved is that people have become extremely skeptical about this particular tactic,” she added about the operation’s impact in the eyes of the public.

The RCMP issued a brief statement Friday saying it was reviewing the decision, but made no comment about any changes it might be considering in the aftermath of the abuse-of-process ruling.

“The detection, disruption and deterrence of national security-related threats in Canada is a priority for the RCMP and its partner agencies,” read the statement.

Crown lawyer Peter Eccles raised concerns about the impact Friday’s ruling could have on the ability of law enforcement to monitor and prevent terrorist threats.

“As we’ve seen even in the last six weeks, lone participants are undeniably the greatest challenge law enforcement faces,” he said.

“The difficulty for the Crown is the line that the judge has set could very well seriously impact on the ability of (the RCMP) to pursue any similar investigation of anyone in the future.”

Defence counsel rejected the notion that police would be hamstrung by Friday’s court decision.

“I’d be surprised if the RCMP hadn’t taken a careful look at this case already a long time ago,” said Mark Jette, Korody’s lawyer.

“An organization like that, you would think, would try to learn some lessons (before and after) a judgment like this,” he said.

In her ruling, Bruce said the actions of the police threatened the fundamental beliefs of Canadians, such as freedom, dignity and fairness.

“There must be balance between the need to protect the public from harm and what is proper police conduct in a free and democratic society,” she said.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maria in Vancouver

Lifestyle1 month ago

Becoming Your Best Version

By Matter Laurel-Zalko As a woman, I’m constantly evolving. I’m constantly changing towards my better version each year. Actually, I’m...

Lifestyle2 months ago

The True Power of Manifestation

I truly believe in the power of our imagination and that what we believe in our lives is an actual...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

DECORATE YOUR HOME 101

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Our home interiors are an insight into our brains and our hearts. It is our own collaboration...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

Guide to Planning a Wedding in 2 Months

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Are you recently engaged and find yourself in a bit of a pickle because you and your...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

Staying Cool and Stylish this Summer

By Matte Laurel-Zalko I couldn’t agree more when the great late Ella Fitzgerald sang “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.”...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Ageing Gratefully and Joyfully

My 56th trip around the sun is just around the corner! Whew. Wow. Admittedly, I used to be afraid of...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

My Love Affair With Pearls

On March 18, 2023, my article, The Power of Pearls was published. In that article, I wrote about the history...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

7 Creative Ways to Propose!

Sometime in April 2022, my significant other gave me a heads up: he will be proposing to me on May...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

Why Eating Healthy Matters

We are what we eat, so don’t be fast, cheap, easy, or fake — we should take these words to...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

Maria Goes To Lapu Lapu Day Block Party!

On April 27, 2024, the Filipino community of Vancouver had its first Pinoy multi-Block Party in the most diverse neighbourhood,...