The Justice Minister dodged questions on ankle monitors and court translators in the House of Assembly yesterday, citing an ongoing trial for her inability to comment even generally.
NDP MHA Sheilagh O’Leary cited the murder trial for Ibrahim Alahmad, which has been delayed for several reasons, including a lack of Arabic translators.
O’Leary cited the same trial in asking why this province lags behind others with its ankle-monitoring program.
Minister Helen Conway Ottenheimer (NL HoA/YouTube)
While no comment was sought on the trials themselves, Justice Minister Helen Conway Ottenheimer still refused to go there.
“Any comment would be inappropriate. The judiciary is independent of government, it has to be free from any political influence,” she said. “Any comments by me would affect that impartiality and that neutrality. So for those reasons I have to decline any comment.”
Other factors have contributed to the year-long delay in the murder trial, including scheduling conflicts for the lawyers involved, as well as the judge, who’s currently overseeing the recently extended Dean Penney murder trial in Corner Brook.
Alahmad himself has also contributed to delays with his trial after initially firing his lawyers.
