Smith says she urged minister to consider whether COVID prosecutions could succeed
CTV
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has delivered a third version of what she discussed with justice officials over how to handle the prosecution of people charged with breaking COVID-19 health rules.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has delivered a third version of what she discussed with justice officials over how to handle the prosecution of people charged with breaking COVID-19 health rules.
Smith told her Corus radio show Saturday that she has urged Justice Minister Tyler Shandro and his deputy attorney general to consider whether the cases were in the public interest and whether there was a reasonable chance of conviction before proceeding.
Prosecutors, under departmental guidelines, are already aware that these are the overarching principles to consider before pursuing any case.
“I wanted to ask them if they had looked at these cases in that light,” Smith told her radio show.
“They confirmed that that is the measure that Crown prosecutors use when they're looking at these cases: reasonable likelihood of conviction (and) if it's in the public interest. So we're letting the court process play out.”
A day earlier, Smith issued a statement saying she went to the meeting seeking “options” on the COVID-19 prosecutions but didn't elaborate on what alternatives she was seeking.
“I had discussions with the attorney general and deputy attorney general and asked them to look into what options were available with respect to outstanding COVID-related cases,” the statement read.
