B.C. prosecutors' association raises security concerns about Vancouver courthouse following assault
The association that represents B.C.’s roughly 450 Crown prosecutors is raising safety concerns around an East Vancouver courthouse after a member was allegedly assaulted outside last week.
Police say 27-year-old Kenyon Lavallee randomly attacked two women near the provincial courthouse at 222 Main St. Friday morning.
The British Columbia Crown Counsel Association has since confirmed one of the victims is a prosecutor, and that she was sent to hospital after the assault.
"We’re reeling, this has really shaken us to the core to have one of our own attacked right here,” said BCCCA president Adam Dalrymple.
He says the prosecutor was being escorted by a security guard – which lawyers making their way to that courthouse often are – but the attack still wasn’t prevented.
Dalrymple says the incident has sparked broader concerns about that courthouse, noting that while lawyers are given security escorts, victims, witnesses and members of the public are not.
"This is Canada, British Columbia, Vancouver – the fact that we have to have escorts and shuttles for court staff into a provincial court (is unacceptable),” he said. “This court services the lion’s share of criminal matters from Burnaby and Vancouver.”
Dalrymple says they’re hoping to spark a discussion about finding a new location for the Vancouver provincial courthouse.
“This where people come to see their justice system, this is where people come to observe sentencings, this where young people come to learn about their justice system,” he said.
“That engagement is so critical to the proper functioning of the criminal justice system,” he added. “What makes it work is that people within the system feel safe, that courthouses are in safe locations.”
Premier David Eby says his government isn’t considering moving the courthouse, but that there will be discussions around safety.
"I'm certainly very concerned about this assault on a Crown prosecutor, and the safety of every person that uses that courthouse as well as more broadly in the neighbourhood,” he said.
“We will continue to do the work we’ve been doing to ensure the safety of all court participants.”
In a statement, B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said she will be meeting directly with the BCCA and the Trial Lawyers Association to “understand what steps are needed” to improve safety at the province’s courthouses.
"The ministry will be reviewing the facts of this incident to determine what, if any, further measures may be taken,” Sharma said.
"There are various factors behind the location of a courthouse, including its proximity to other law enforcement agencies, in-custody centres and other community programs and services. These need to be taken into account to ensure the smooth running of the courts and justice system."
Sharma also wished both victims a “speedy recovery.”
Lavallee appeared in court Monday, he remains in custody and will be back before a judge later this month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6972157.1721587842!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING NEWS Biden drops out of 2024 race, endorses Harris to be Democratic nominee
U.S. President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for re-election after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about the incumbent's fitness for office with the election just four months away. It was a late-season campaign thunderstrike unlike any in American history.
What happens next: Joe Biden wants to pass the baton to Kamala Harris. Here's how that might work
With U.S. President Joe Biden ending his re-election bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats now must navigate a shift that is unprecedented this late in an election year.
Joe Biden: Trudeau reacts to news Biden won't run for re-election
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden won’t run for re-election Sunday, calling Biden a 'true friend.'
Harris, endorsed by Biden, could become first woman, second Black person to be U.S. president
Kamala Harris could become the first Black woman to head a major U.S. party presidential ticket after U.S. President Joe Biden abruptly ended his re-election bid and endorsed her.
Read Biden's full text announcing the end to his re-election campaign
U.S. President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign on Sunday after fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to beat Donald Trump. He announced his decision in a letter posted on social media. Read the full text.
LCBO workers ratify tentative agreement, strike ends Monday
The union representing 10,000 workers at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) has ratified a tentative agreement, which will officially end its two-week strike at 12:01 a.m. Monday.
Joy in Newfoundland after 'Lucky 7' fishers survive harrowing days lost at sea
There was a powerful word being repeated in the joyful Newfoundland community of New-Wes-Valley on Sunday: 'Miracle.'
A 12-year-old girl is accused of smothering her younger cousin over an iPhone
A 12-year-old girl in Tennessee has been charged with murder, accused of smothering her eight-year-old cousin as the younger girl slept. A relative said they had been arguing over an iPhone.
Trudeau and family head to British Columbia for vacation in unnamed location
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will head to British Columbia on Sunday, where he will be on vacation with his family until Aug. 1.