British Columbia Attorney General Wally Oppal has appointed a special prosecutor to look into allegations of misconduct at the B.C. polygamous community of Bountiful.
Oppal has directed the Criminal Justice Branch of his ministry to appoint the special prosecutor to conduct a charge assessment of the allegations surrounding the community, located near Creston in southeastern B.C.
Lawyer Terrence Robertson will assess the likelihood of criminal conviction at Bountiful.
Oppal's decision to proceed with a charge assessment comes after two earlier legal opinions concluded it would be difficult to proceed with criminal charges for polygamy, although one examination suggested launching a court challenge of the laws surrounding polygamy as opposed to a criminal prosecution.
Oppal has previously said there have been allegations of sexual misconduct at Bountiful but nobody has agreed to testify in court.
About 800 people live in Bountiful and are part of a breakaway Mormon sect where many continue to practice the polygamous marriages long abandoned by the mainstream Mormon church.
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