A BC-based non-profit taking legal action against the provincial government’s COVID-19 related policies says British Columbians have “never been closer to accountability" as it gears up for its much anticipated certification hearing..The Canadian Society for the Advancement of Science in Public Policy (CSASPP) is currently engaged in several legal actions within the realm of provincial COVID-19 policy, with its first and most widely known case being a proposed class action suit against Provincial Health Officer (PHO) Dr. Bonnie Henry..The action was filed Jan. 26, 2021, and after nearly two years of encountering incremental victories, frustrating setbacks, and long drawn-out out stalemates, the organization’s most anticipated event will be on display in less than three weeks — its certification hearing, set to begin December 12..“The world has been waiting nearly two years for it,” said CSASPP’s Executive Director Kip Warner, adding the proceedings may lead to a potential 40-day trial if successful..Contingent upon the certification hearing, CSASPP says trial dates have been locked in for April 2023..“That means a single plaintiff is augmented with potentially hundreds of thousands, if not millions, affected by the declaration of an emergency. We also then have the formal tools of discovery made available to us to ask Dr. Henry questions and obtain documents,” said Warner..Not to be mistaken with CSASPP’s petition for healthcare workers faced with vaccination mandates, nor its recently axed — and since appealed — vaccine passport petition, the class action aims to hold Henry accountable for the province’s COVID-19 related measures implemented in March of 2020, when Henry, as PHO, declared a state of emergency.. Certification hearing flyer .To get as many eyes on the December hearings as possible, CSASPP brought forth an application under the open court principle to record and subsequently stream the hearings to the public each following day..The constitutionally protected open court principle provides the public the right to observe the court process, albeit in an often archaic fashion, and the judge overseeing the class action recommended in June that CSASPP bring the formal application to expand the principle, which it did..READ MORE: Organization suing Henry moves forward in attempt to film hearings.Five months later the application was heard, and Warner says the order has been granted with the judgment set to be made public any day..“I am delighted to share with you that we prevailed in this historic challenge. The order was granted allowing CSASPP the right to webcast our upcoming certification hearing,” said Warner..“This is the first time in British Columbia that a class certification has ever been filmed before. We believe this is a significant milestone on the road to accountability in respect to the conduct of the defendants.”.CSASPP invites all who can make it to attend the certification hearing in person. It begins at 9:30 a.m. at 800 Smithe St., Vancouver, December 12.
