The Micmac Rights Association legal team, led by former National Chief Delbert Riley, scored another major legal victory on Monday, November 24th in Kentville Provincial Court in Nova Scotia!
A total of 42 criminal charges were stayed against Micmac Rights Association executive member Cody Ward, as well as Brian Sherman, Keegan Stevens, Tyler Keddy and Jensen Johnstone.
The charges stem from an August 26, 2024 raid by RCMP officers on two locations of the Mi’kmaq treaty truck house Greenwolf, one in New Minas, the other located on so called “Crown lands” near Gaspereau Lake – a continuously occupied Mi’kmaq village and trading site.
The more serious charges had been previously stayed by Crown Prosecutor Michael Taylor at a court hearing on Oct 29th in order to avoid a constitutional challenge made against section 802.1 of the Criminal Code in order to allow Chief Riley to represent the accused.
The final charges were dropped by the Crown shortly after the MRA legal team challenged their proposed inclusion of evidence with a 10(b) and 24(2) Charter Challenge, leaving the Crown with insufficient evidence to prove their case.
