Media Brief - Statement of Terrence Robertson, QC regarding Special Prosecution
May 10, 2010Vancouver - May 10, 2010. Terrence Robertson, QC issued the following statement regarding the special proseuction in an investigation of the Kash Heed election campaign.
On January 12, 2010 I accepted a confidential assignment from the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Attorney General's office to act as Special Prosecutor in an investigation of the Kash Heed election campaign.
At that time, I decided that contributions from my firm to the BC Liberal Party and the Kash Heed campaign did not compromise my independence as a prosecutor and I was confident I could decide whether charges should be laid on the facts and the law. I am confident that my judgment was made independently and that I was not influenced in any way in the decision as to what charges should be approved.
In hindsight, I was wrong to think these donations would not raise questions about my independence.
I apologise to the Criminal Justice Branch, my peers in the legal profession, and to my firm.
I have acted as Special Prosecutor on many cases since 1994, including the prosecution of a Liberal member of the legislature in 2001. I have, to the best of my ability, acted in the best interests of the Province and the people of British Columbia in all of those cases. I have approved charges when I assessed the facts as meeting the standard for charge approval in B.C. and have never done otherwise.
It is now clear that I should not have accepted this assignment. For that I am truly sorry.
Terrence Robertson, QC
Harper Grey LLP
