CELL is supporting a petition for judicial review that was filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, which seeks a declaration that the Province unlawfully authorized BC Hydro to remove amphibians from their habitat along the Peace River knowing that the Province lacked the legislative authority to do so.
Jason Gratl, who is counsel of record for the petitioners Sierra Club BC and Josette Wier, also sits on the CELL Board of Directors. As a CELL-supported case, CELL lawyers will provide pro bono assistance to the petitioners and their counsel.
Chris Tollefson, Executive Director of CELL, has been recently quoted in an article on DeSmog Canada on the importance of this judicial review. “This is the kind of situation that desperately needs to be brought to the courts for adjudication,” Tollefson said. “The evidence here suggests that a government official not only didn’t follow the rule of law but was actively assisting BC Hydro in breaking the law. If that’s true, that should concern all British Columbians regardless of how they feel about Site C.”
In addition, CELL will be looking for opportunities to allow law students to work closely with counsel on this case. The mission of CELL is to provide cutting-edge experiential opportunities for junior lawyers and law students to develop litigation skills through public interest environmental litigation.
Posted July 28, 2016
Sierra Club BC press release, including a copy of the petition: http://sierraclub.bc.ca/judicial-review-unlawful-site-c-approvals/
DeSmog Canada article by Carol Linnitt: http://www.desmog.ca/2016/07/28/b-c-faces-lawsuit-over-rushed-site-c-permits