The Written Word
for May 19, 1999

What is it about investigations in this country? How long did it take to investigate Nanaimogate? 2 years? 4 years? And how long to prosecute John Laxton, the man who headed up BC Hydro at the time of Hydrogate? Nearly three and a half years for that one! And how long will the investigation of Premier Glen Clark go on? And how come they can move with some speed on Bre-ex yet find no misconduct worthy of charges?

And look at the Airbus matter which the RCMP are still investigating despite having to apologize to Brian Mulroney and pay his enormous legal bills. It took the Crown so long to prosecute Jack Weisgerber that he was forced to abandon the offered Speaker’s Chair.

Could it be that the system is flawed here – perhaps badly flawed. Instead of having investigations done through the Attorney-General’s office why not create, as they have in England, a Director of Public Prosecutions and make his or her appointment through the legislature as we now do with the Ombudsman, the Auditor- General and other similar appointments?

This way, two things happen.

First and foremost there is the appearance of fairness not presently seen. The Director of Public Prosecutions has no interest, real or apparent, in the outcome of he case. Second, the Ombudsman, completely independent of the government, can call ‘em as he sees them with no possibility outside bureaucratic interference.

It is important that the public has confidence in the justice system and all aspects of it. They have not got that confidence now and much of the reason has to do with investigations. When crown counsel, appointed by the Attorney-General explain why investigations take a very long time it doesn’t have the ring of credibility that a similar pronouncement from an ombudsman style prosecutor would have.

Finally, a Director of Public Prosecutions would give off an air of efficiency and continuity. Instead of their being a new person in charge every time there was a big case, there would be one person who must answer.

If we want to restore public confidence we must do things differently than we are now and a Director of Public Prosecutions is not only new to B.C. it has been done elsewhere and it works.