Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

New Brunswick, Canada - On September 7 in the courtroom at Néguac, New Brunswick, 6 trials involving 15 Mi'kmaq fishers and 3 members of Christian Peacemaker Teams were held over for another month to allow the defendants more time to prepare. The charges include illegal fishing, obstruction of fisheries officers, and assault during incidents ranging from May 6 to August 29. They stem from attempts by lobster fishers at Esgenoôpetitj First Nation to exercise their treaty right to fish under their own Fishery Act despite claims by Canada's Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans that it alone controls all fishing.

An earlier request by CPTer William Payne to have a Mi'kmaq translator at his trial, since the courtroom was overflowing with persons whose first language was Mi'kmaq, was denied. The Judge ruled that translation is only provided for witnesses and defendants, not observers in court. Payne and CPTer Bob Holmes must now appear in court in Miramichi NB September 29 to set a date for trial.

The 15 Mi'kmaq defendants and CPTer Doug Pritchard are to return to Néguac court October 5 to enter pleas and set dates for trial. In response to the defendants' request for delay, the judge remarked, "Eventually you are going to have to set a trial date."

CPT has maintained a violence-reduction team at esgenoôpetitj since April 2000. Members of the current team include Jamey Bouwmeester (Elgin IL), Joel Klassen (Kitchener ON), William Payne (Toronto ON), Pierre Shantz (Blainville QC), Janet Shoemaker (Goshen IN), and Lena Siegers (Blyth ON).