Court releases first documents in case of wrongfully convicted N.S. man
Records outlining reasons behind justice minister's decision to order new trial have been sealed
A Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge has approved the release of the first batch of documents in the case of Glen Assoun, the Dartmouth, N.S., man who spent 17 years in prison after he was wrongfully convicted of murder.
Earlier this year, federal Justice Minister David Lametti quashed Assoun's conviction for second-degree murder in the 1995 death of Brenda Way and ordered a new trial. The prosecution called no evidence and the charge was dropped.
In his decision, the minister said there is "a reasonable basis to conclude that a miscarriage of justice likely occurred," however the documents relating to his decision have been sealed while he reviewed Assoun's case.
The CBC, the Canadian Press and The Halifax Examiner have joined forces to try to get that sealing order lifted so the reasoning behind the decision can be revealed.
A hearing has been set for July 2 to argue this case. Lawyers held a conference call with Justice James Chipman to determine what material could be released in the interim.
The material released on Tuesday contains information that has all been reported previously. It includes the terms of Assoun's interim release, which was granted in November 2014, when his lawyers started lobbying the minister to take a look at his case.
His release came with strict conditions. Those conditions were all dropped when the charge against him was withdrawn.