Frank Paul inquiry's final report delayed

There will be a delay in the final report from an inquiry into the death of an aboriginal man who was dumped in an alley by a Vancouver police officer.

Commissioner William Davies, who is heading the inquiry into Frank Paul's 1998 death, said Thursday he will need an extension of the May 31 deadline.

The delay comes after an application by the Criminal Justice Branch, which wants a B.C. Supreme Court judge to overturn Davies' recent ruling that five prosecutors testify about their decision not to lay charges in Paul's death.

The hearings begin May 26.

"If a ruling comes down within a reasonable amount of time we will then complete our hearings in accordance with the B.C. Supreme Court ruling," Davies, a former judge, said in a news release.

"But I will have to consider issuing an interim report on the other matters that I have heard evidence on if the B.C. Supreme Court proceedings fail to resolve the question in a timely manner."

The inquiry into Paul's death has been adjourned until April 2. It cannot find fault but it can recommend changes to police policies and procedures.

The New Brunswick Mi'Kmaq was found dead of hypothermia in a Vancouver alley on Dec. 6, 1998.

He'd been left there by a police officer after a sergeant at the city drunk tank refused him admission even though Paul was intoxicated to the point that he couldn't care for himself.