National

B.C. RCMP conduct hearing delayed over disclosure issues, possible publication ban

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 12 Mar, 2025 02:17 PM

An RCMP code of conduct hearing that could see three Mounties from Coquitlam, B.C., lose their jobs has been delayed until Thursday over disclosure issues and a possible publication ban.

The hearing in Surrey, B.C., was to begin with the testimony of a female officer who lawyers for the conduct hearing said would testify that Const. Ian Solven "outright lied" during his testimony at the hearing earlier this week.

Constables Solven, Mersad Mesbah and Philip Dick face allegations of discreditable conduct and workplace harassment over racist, homophobic and other derogatory messages made in police group chats on personal phones and over RCMP data terminals, which they deny.

John MacLaughlan, a lawyer for the RCMP conduct authority, says the officer scheduled to testify and others who were the subjects of derisive comments in the group chats need time to get independent legal advice and help from their union.

MacLaughlan told the conduct board that the proceedings should remain open to the public to the "greatest extent possible" because of the significant public interest involved, but he would not oppose a publication ban on alleged victims' names.

Brad Kielmann, Solven's lawyer, says he needed disclosure of the female officer's own private communications about the hearing, including Instagram messages, because they could be "highly relevant."

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Earthquake shakes Vancouver and other B.C. cities

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 has shaken Vancouver, Victoria and other B.C. cities. Natural Resources Canada says the quake was centred 24 kilometres north-northeast of Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast.

Earthquake shakes Vancouver and other B.C. cities

Heiltsuk Nation written constitution passes with 67 per cent of votes

The Heiltsuk Nation has approved the adoption of a written constitution for the First Nation on British Columbia's central coast. The nation says 67 per cent of the 725 people who voted on the referendum were in favour of the constitution.

Heiltsuk Nation written constitution passes with 67 per cent of votes

Poilievre's proposed incentives for First Nations water, resource projects draw fire

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he would incentivize First Nations to support natural-resource projects through industry taxes and revisiting how much sway Indigenous Peoples and environmental considerations have over approving projects. The proposals drew swift criticism from some experts and researchers.

Poilievre's proposed incentives for First Nations water, resource projects draw fire

Indigenous kids in care more likely to experience poor health later in life: report

Indigenous people who were in government care as children experience poorer health and socioeconomic outcomes later in life than those who were never in care, a new Statistics Canada report says. They suffer higher rates of disability, lower self-rated health levels and more homelessness, and are more likely to struggle to meet basic household needs, the report says.

Indigenous kids in care more likely to experience poor health later in life: report

Ex-coroner says B.C.'s drug policy overhaul looks like 'impulsive political decision'

British Columbia's former chief coroner says she's disappointed by the province's overhaul of its program that provides prescription alternatives to toxic street drugs, a shift she says "feels like a really impulsive political decision." Lisa Lapointe said the move to a "witnessed-only" model in which people are supervised while consuming their prescription drugs appeared to ignore scientific evidence.

Ex-coroner says B.C.'s drug policy overhaul looks like 'impulsive political decision'

Internal military report blames botched shooter drill on poor organization

During the drill, which took place on Nov. 12 at a service depot at CFB Longue-Pointe in Montreal, military police also confused a racialized employee with a drill participant playing an active shooter and wrestled him to the ground.