HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s police watchdog, the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), is in talks with a civilian agency that wants to investigate the role of police in the wrongful murder conviction of Glen Assoun, provincial justice officials confirmed Thursday.
Justice Minister Barbara Adams gave few details following a cabinet meeting, saying only that further comments would come from SIRT.
“We are aware that there is a civil organization that is interested and willing to take on the case, but they are currently determining whether they are able to do so,” said Adams, who acknowledged the urgency of reopening the Assoun case and did not rule out additional support from the province.
Mr. Assoun, who died in June 2023 at the age of 67, was acquitted in March 2019 of the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Brenda Lee Anne Way, after spending almost 17 years in prison. A preliminary assessment by the federal Department of Justice has determined that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police chose not to disclose an investigator’s theories about other suspects in the 1995 murder and that the Mounties destroyed most of that evidence potential.
In September 2020, then-Justice Minister Brad Johns asked SIRT to investigate whether police committed criminal misconduct. In March 2021, it was announced that British Columbia’s police watchdog had agreed to review the case, but in November of that year it was revealed that it had dropped out because its members were too busy.
Lack of resources
SIRT Director Erin Nauss announced Thursday that she has been in talks with another civilian-led oversight agency since late last year.
“Unfortunately, there is not much to share at this stage because we are still in negotiations,” Ms. Nauss said in an interview. I am hopeful that we will have something to announce soon.”
Director cited heavy workloads and general lack of resources to explain ‘unacceptable delay’ in resuming investigation since B.C. agency withdrew from case .
“Almost every single leader of the (control) organizations I’ve spoken to has been very interested in helping with this, but they haven’t been able to do so,” Nauss said. “Resourcing is a major issue across the country.”
Nauss said it’s important to recognize that most police oversight bodies in Canada are relatively new, with Ontario being the first province to create an independent, civilian-led organization in 1990. Newfoundland and Labrador created its police oversight body in 2019, followed by Saskatchewan last year. Prince Edward Island does not yet have an oversight body, while New Brunswick has been covered by Nova Scotia’s independent oversight body since 2023.
Ms Nauss confirmed that her agency would cover the costs of the investigation into Assoun.
— With files from Michael MacDonald in Halifax.
Keith Doucette, The Canadian Press
