B.C. lawyers' group calls for Vancouver courthouse to be moved out of downtown following attack
Premier says no move is in the cards but safety concerns taken seriously
Premier David Eby says the government is not currently considering the relocation of a provincial courthouse in downtown Vancouver, where the president of the British Columbia Crown Counsel Association says safety concerns are on the rise.
A statement from counsel president Adam Dalrymple says a recent attack on a prosecutor near the courthouse at 222 Main St. underscores the need for a "serious discussion" about whether it should be moved away from the Downtown Eastside.
The Crown Counsel Association is a bargaining group representing lawyers who act as prosecutors in provincial court cases in B.C. — attempting to prove guilt in criminal cases, for example, on behalf of the public.
"It's time to have a real serious discussion about the closure of that provincial court and movement to a more accessible location for British Columbians," Dalrymple said in an interview with CBC News.
"We serve the public. This is their court, this is where justice is done and they have a right to access it in a safe way, as much as our members do."
Dalrymple's statement says the prosecutor was walking to work after parking her car when she was randomly attacked, sustaining injuries that sent her to hospital.
He said she was already being accompanied by a security guard as a result of previous safety concerns.
He argued the attack reinforces growing concerns about public safety, and while the province provides security guards for people working in the courthouse, that's not the case for witnesses, victims or the general public coming to court — and he worries fewer people will be willing to come forward over safety concerns.
"I think it's troubling that in a city like Vancouver, in a province like British Columbia, in a country like Canada that we have to escort staff into a provincial court," he said. "I don't think that's normal and it shouldn't happen in this country."
On Monday, Eby told an unrelated news conference that it's not a move the province is looking to make but he is "very concerned" about the assault last Friday.
The premier says he has spoken with B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma and she would be reaching out to the Crown Counsel Association, in addition to her other work to ensure the safety of courts and the justice system.
Police said the attack on the prosecutor was one of two assaults last Friday morning near Hastings and Columbia streets, about two blocks from the court.
A suspect was arrested and the assaults appear to have been random, police said.
With files from Chad Pawson