By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews Three land defenders convicted in 2023 for their opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX) in Secwépemcúl’ecw have been denied a retrial, but say they intend to further escalate their appeal. On Friday, the provincial Court of Appeal dismissed attempts to overturn criminal contempt sentences for Secwépemc land defender April Thomas, Nlaka’pamux land defender Red Deer Billie Pierre and settler ally Romilly Cavanaugh. The decision by the province’s highest court comes more than four months after a lawyer for the trio argued that they were upholding Indigenous law when they were arrested for breaching a TMX construction area protected by an injunction three years earlier. Their lawyer argued that B.C. Supreme Court Justice Shelley Fitzpatrick — who tried and sentenced the…
Register
