Supreme Court of Canada agrees to hear appeal in B.C.'s notorious 'Surrey Six' case
The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear arguments about the fairness of B.C. proceedings that led to guilty findings for two men in the first-degree murders of six people.
Earlier this year, the B.C. Court of Appeal quashed the convictions of Cody Haevischer and Matthew Johnston for the gang-related murders in what has become known as the “Surrey Six” case.
The Appeal Court didn't order a new trial, concluding a B.C. Supreme Court judge did not err in excluding Haevischer and Johnston from a pretrial hearing in which a key witness testified behind closed doors.
However, the court ruled the trial judge did make a mistake in dismissing an application from the two men for a hearing that would have allowed them to contend their rights were violated by police misconduct and by a lengthy period of solitary confinement before trial.
Although the Appeal Court quashed the men's convictions, it affirmed their guilty verdicts in the 2007 murders and sent the case back to B.C. Supreme Court for an evidentiary hearing on the abuse-of-process arguments.
The Supreme Court of Canada gave no reasons today for agreeing to hear an appeal application from the Crown, while dismissing a cross-appeal from the two men.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.