The Legislature Raids

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Four and a half minutes in Courtroom 54

By Robin Mathews
January 11, 2010

Eight lawyers sat in the courtroom, eight or nine observers in the gallery as the four and a half minute hearing process unrolled.

In brief, Mr. Berardino, Special Crown Prosecutor, reported to Madam Justice Anne MacKenzie that Prosecution and Defence are in gratifyingly productive talks, and he may be able to report, upon the return of the parties on January 25, that all - or nearly all - Defence motions, on wire-tap legitimacy and the rest will be erased and will not go forward. If that happens, the court will save months (four to six) of time, and may be able to proceed expeditiously to a trial of the three accused men.

With that, the assembly filed out from the courtroom - to speculate or to go to the courtroom next door and hear the brief discussion. There the Dave Basi charges in relation to the ALR and Sooke lands were set to be visited again on February 8, 2010.

With that, the assembly filed out from the courtroom to hear questions and answers, to speculate ... to drift into the Vancouver rain - perhaps to pick up the day's 24 HOURS paper and to read of the mountainous boondoggle of riches swept up by the Olympically chosen, and to be paid off over decades by the people of B.C.

The universe is unfolding as planned ... but by what God, what Creator?

The air that pervaded the Law Courts Building this morning was one of expensively perfumed cynicism. It is a cynicism so deep that one felt transported to Rome or Moscow as an empire was being dessicated by avarice, cronyism, sell-out, bribery, place-buying, blunderingly overweight bureaucracy and all the symptoms of a culture in advanced decay.

We may observe a few things about the state of the Basi, Virk, and Basi matter that might cause readers to reflect ... just a little. 

If Madam Justice Elizabeth Bennett had not been removed from the case in a set of circumstances that has not yet (to me) been fully explained, the day - today - would not have gone as it did.

If the Special Crown Prosecutor appointment machinery included a protocol for review so that an Attorney General and his deputy Attorney General could not appoint as a Special Crown Prosecutor a long time partner and associate to a matter very closely involving the government of which they are a part, the day - today - would not have gone as it did.

If RCMP Deputy Commissioner Gary Bass had done what I requested him to do and what I sincerely believe is his duty - to have begun a criminal investigation of the chief actors in the corrupt transfer of BC Rail to CNR, the day - today - would not have gone as it did.

If the (so-called) 'mainstream press and media' had done its job, prying into matters (such as mentioned just above) and had editorialized on the manifest failures of democratic accountability in the administration of justice in B.C., and had properly informed the British Columbia public, the day - today - would not have gone as it did.

In the face of all those failures, we can say the day - today - went very well indeed.