Families won’t have standing in Pickton evidence case, judge rules

A Supreme Court judge has dismissed applications by relatives of Robert Pickton’s victims to intervene successful tribunal proceedings complete nan RCMP’s plans to destruct evidence from nan investigation into nan serial killer.

But Justice Frits Verhoeven says nan families are to beryllium notified of immoderate RCMP applications to dispose of grounds and nan tribunal whitethorn assistance them “a constricted correct of audience, if deemed basal and appropriate.”

Lawyer Jason Gratl, who represents nan victims’ relatives, says his clients are “not unhappy” pinch Monday’s decision, and nan correct to beryllium notified and heard erstwhile due is “sufficient” for their purposes.

Gratl’s clients are progressive successful 9 lawsuits against nan precocious slayer and his brother, David Pickton.

The applicants had claimed nan pending lawsuits gave them a nonstop liking successful nan result of nan proceedings, successful which nan RCMP is applying for directions from nan tribunal astir procedures for grounds destruction.

Pickton, who died successful May aft being attacked successful a Quebec prison, was convicted successful 2007 connected six counts of second-degree execution but is suspected of sidesplitting galore much women who went missing from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

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Justice for Girls, an defense group that opposes nan demolition of evidence, withdrew their ain exertion for intervener position earlier nan commencement of nan proceedings.

Sue Brown, nan group’s head of advocacy, confirmed nan move successful an question and reply past month.

“The court, astatine nan extremity of nan day, cannot bid nan RCMP to analyse these unsolved cases, they tin only bid nan preservation of grounds and what we really request is simply a committedness politically from elected officials who are tin of ordering an investigation into nan unsolved cases,” she said.

There has been nary denotation that constabulary scheme to re-open nan investigation.

But, Brown said, that is their goal.

“We deliberation we request to return this to nan elected officials, whether provincially aliases federally, to put unit connected nan RCMP and we want to spot nan RCMP recommit resources and decently analyse these cases,” she said successful nan June interview.

“At a bare minimum, they should beryllium retesting those exhibits to spot if they tin place nan DNA of different missing women’s cases who’ve ne'er been tied to nan farm.”

RCMP person not yet applied to nan tribunal for disposal of immoderate items, Monday’s intervener ruling said.