WINNIPEG — Lawyers for the family of a young man beheaded on a Greyhound bus are considering taking those determining the killer’s fate to the Manitoba Court of Appeal.
Norman Boudreau and Jay Prober are criticizing the Criminal Code review board hearing for Vince Li. They allege the chairman is in a conflict of interest because his firm is representing Greyhound in pending civil lawsuits over the case.
They also argue the board has no right to withhold its ruling from the public to protect Li’s privacy.
Both lawyers say if the board doesn’t make its entire ruling public, the family of victim Tim McLean will consider a challenge in Appeal Court.
Boudreau raised both concerns at the hearing held Monday, but board chairman John Stefaniuk said the board was “disinclined” to grant him standing to pursue either issue and the matter was quickly dropped.
The hearing was like a “kangaroo court,” Boudreau said Wednesday.
Boudreau alleges Stefaniuk is in a clear conflict, even though he is an environmental lawyer who isn’t directly involved in the Greyhound lawsuit.
As chairman, Stefaniuk would have “privileged information” about the Li case which could be shared within the firm, Boudreau said.
Li was found not criminally responsible for killing McLean in front of horrified passengers near Portage la Prairie, Man., last summer.
A judge ruled in March that Li suffered from untreated schizophrenia and did not realize that killing the 22-year-old carnival worker was wrong.
The review board must decide whether Li should remain in a mental hospital, be given a conditional release or granted an absolute discharge. A ruling is expected later this week.
Stefaniuk said it would be inappropriate to comment on the conflict allegations.