B.C. Premier David Eby is criticizing the review board’s decision to grant a conditional discharge to Allan Schoenborn, the man found not criminally responsible for killing his three children in 2008, calling it ‘deeply concerning.’ Criminal defence lawyer Kyla Lee says Eby’s comments are ‘inappropriate’ and undermine confidence in the justice system. Lee gives a legal analysis behind the conditional release decision.
“I think that the comments are inappropriate. This is the function of the rule of law, and the premier, being just the premier of the province and a lawyer, should respect the institutions that we have in place. The BC Review Board is not going to release somebody on a conditional discharge unless they are satisfied that they are not posing a significant risk to public safety. Questioning that decision-making process, which is enshrined under the Criminal Code, does undermine confidence in the justice system.”
