B.C. Supreme Court

18 Aug

B.C. Supreme Court Grants Prince George Order to Shut Down Moccasin Flats Homeless Camp, Allows Limited Exemptions

nishuthapar10 CommentsCanadaB.C. Supreme Court, homeless camp, Justice Bruce Elwood, Moccasin Flats, Prince George

Prince George, B.C. (Richa Walia)— The City of Prince George has secured a court order to close the Moccasin Flats homeless encampment, also known as the Lower Patricia Boulevard site, after a B.C. Supreme Court ruling found the camp violated city bylaws.In his written decision, Justice Bruce Elwood ruled that the camp’s continuous occupation of city-owned land was a “clear breach” of the Parks and Open Space Bylaw and the Zoning Bylaw, which prohibit camping and sheltering on municipal property. The ruling followed a three-day hearing held in early July.While the order gives the city authority to bar full-time sheltering…

13 Aug

B.C. Supreme Court Dismisses Appeal by Doctor Fired for Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine

nishuthapar10 CommentsCanadaB.C. Supreme Court, COVID-19 vaccine refusal, Dr. Theresa Szezepaniak, Interior Health

British Columbia (Richa Walia)— The B.C. Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal of Dr. Theresa Szezepaniak, a physician whose hospital privileges were revoked after she refused the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021.Dr. Szezepaniak, a long-serving hospitalist at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, had challenged a 2023 ruling by the B.C. Hospital Appeal Board (HAB) that largely upheld Interior Health’s decision to suspend her privileges. The HAB had concluded that her refusal to comply with the provincial vaccine mandate amounted to neglect of her professional obligations.In her appeal, Szezepaniak argued that the decision breached her rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights…