A retired judge leading the probe into a mass murder in Nova Scotia is speaking directly to skeptics of the public inquiry.
Chief Justice Michael MacDonald started the proceedings Monday morning by laying the groundwork for the probe. He said he won’t tolerate tampering with the independence of the hearings.
“Some people are concerned about the Mass Casualty Commission’s independence…believing that we may be susceptible to covering up for either the RCMP or the government,” MacDonald stated. “Let me assure you, nothing could be further from the truth.”
There has been criticism from family members of the victims and their legal counsel about the inquiry’s structure and its ability to uncover the truth, in addition to permitting cross examination of witnesses testimony.
“The commission will be robust in our response if witnesses try to be misleading,” MacDonald stated. “There will be robust cross examination.”
Premier Calls On Mass Casualty Commission To Meet With Families
MacDonald’s opening remarks were made not long after Tim Houston criticized the structure of the inquiry. Houston says he’s heard that family members of the victims are frustrated, and they feel left in the dark.
He wondered how the public could have confidence in the inquiry if they (families of victims) do not. Houston says the reason for the inquiry is to seek answers that lead to change and that the commission should meet with them to address their concerns.
The victim’s families have told me they don’t have confidence in the Mass Casualty Inquiry.
The Commission should meet with the families and work to regain their trust.#nspoli #novascotia pic.twitter.com/GS3z78nm24
— Tim Houston (@TimHoustonNS) February 22, 2022
The public inquiry is being held in Halifax and will sit three to four days a week until the end of May. It will examine events leading up to the shootings on April 18-19, 2020 and the RCMP’s response.
A lone-gunman disguised as an RCMP officer and driving a mock police cruiser murdered 22 people across northern Nova Scotia. The rampage only ended when he was killed by police in Enfield, N.S.
The first week of the inquiry runs Feb. 22 and 23, with a panel on mental health and another on life in rural Nova Scotia, particularly the affected communities, as well as a presentation on the structure of policing in the province.
Proceedings are set to run Monday through Thursday between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm from Feb. 28 to Mar 10, before a two week break.
With files from Steve MacArthur and Jack Morse
The public inquiry is being held in Halifax and will sit three to four days a week until the end of May. It will examine events leading up to the shootings on April 18-19, 2020 and the RCMP’s response.
A lone-gunman disguised as an RCMP officer and driving a mock police cruiser murdered 22 people across northern Nova Scotia. The rampage only ended when he was killed by police in Enfield, N.S.
The first week of the inquiry runs Feb. 22 and 23, with a panel on mental health and another on life in rural Nova Scotia, particularly the affected communities, as well as a presentation on the structure of policing in the province.
Proceedings are set to run Monday through Thursday between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm from Feb. 28 to Mar 10, before a two week break.
With files from Steve MacArthur and Jack Morse
