
Court can weather suggestion accused spends ‘rest of his goddamned life in jail’: Eby
British Columbia Premier David Eby says he is confident the independence of the court won’t be influenced by his feelings that the man accused of killing 11 people at a Filipino festival should “spend the rest of his goddamned life in jail.”
The B.C. branch of the Canadian Bar Association has criticized Eby for comments he made last week in the legislature about the man accused of ramming his vehicle through crowds at the Lapu Lapu Day festival on April 26.
Branch president Lee Nevens says in a letter to Eby that the group is “deeply concerned” that the premier is expressing opinions on legal outcomes prior to a fair trial.
The letter says that by ignoring the presumption of innocence and the requirement of due process Eby gives permission for others to do the same and undermines the independence of the judiciary.