"A Vancouver lawyer says the province of
British Columbia has made an “embarrassing” argument in an effort to
defend itself in a lawsuit by a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for
nearly three decades. Michael McCubbin
says the province is acknowledging it screwed up by saying its failure
to disclose important documents to Ivan Henry would not have made any
difference because he represented himself. Henry has sued the province, the federal
government and the City of Vancouver after he was acquitted of 10 counts
of sexual assault in 2010 — about 27 years after his conviction. On
Monday, government lawyer John Hunter told B.C. Supreme Court that
Henry’s case may have ended differently had he accepted a publicly
funded lawyer. Hunter also said Henry’s
lack of legal training meant the province’s failure to pass along
potentially damning documents would not have changed the outcome of the
case."