AJAs 2017 Finalists
Attachments
| Slug/Label | |
|---|---|
| Date Aired or Published | 30/12/2022, 20/04/2023, 21/07/2023 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | CBC New Brunswick |
| Name of Program: | CBC New Brunswick |
| If co-produced, list partner: | |
| Location: | Fredericton |
| List awards, grants: | |
| Running time (TV/Radio): | |
|
Short explanation of the story and how it developed: This story first came to light when we at the CBC received notice that the government of New Brunswick was applying in court to block access to video footage showing Saint John jail guards punching an inmate who was on remand at the time. We consulted legal counsel on our options, and I attended court in person to share with the court our position that we were opposed to this application by the provincial government. We were ultimately successful in our challenge, and the province was compelled to make public its videos showing Scott Morrison being punched while subdued by jail guards. I went on to report on a judge's decision to grant Morrison a lesser sentence, and I also reported on the Department of Justice and Public Safety's internal response to the incident. I believe this story is not only a rare window into what goes on within New Brunswick's provincial jails, but also a look at the legal remedies available to people who have been wronged by the justice system. Mr. Morrison was the victim of abuse of authority, and successfully demonstrated that citizens deserve some recourse when this happens. Highlighting this story is not only beneficial for people in similar situations to him, but also to those in positions of power and authority. Perhaps by reporting on it, they will be reminded that their mistakes can have consequences. |
|
|
Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: Covering this required several hours of time spent in court proceedings, editorial meetings, and analyzing documents to result in the series of stories I've presented here. Just for advice on how to proceed to the province's initial application, we had to consult a lawyer to help us articulate our challenge to the province's efforts to hide the videos. This cost the CBC both in money, and in time spent meeting the lawyer to discuss our position. This story also required hours spent in court as part of the proceedings, and even after the judge blocked the province's request to keep the video hidden, we still had challenges accessing it for ourselves. The court staff initially told us that we weren't allowed to access a copy for ourselves to reproduce on our website. After two days of myself and executive producer Darrow MacIntyre going back and forth with court staff, they finally gave us copies of the videos. I also filed two requests under the province's access to information law to find more information on what happened to the jail guards involved. Those requests took weeks to receive a response to, and the responses included dozens of pages of emails and other documents that also required significant time to sift through. Those right to information requests helped formed the basis for my last two stories on the issue. Those stories included interviews with experts in policing and corrections, which further added to the time it took to produce the stories I've included in my submission. |
|