The provincial court in Smithers has adjourned the hearing of Coastal GasLink pipeline opposition members who were arrested in November last year for breaching a B.C. Supreme Court injunction.
The new hearing has been scheduled for March 14.
Following the arrest of nearly 30 people from a pipeline construction site near Houston, a B.C. Supreme Court judge had granted the pipeline opponents conditional release with all of them expected to reappear in court on Feb. 14.
While non-Wet’sutwet’en members were told to stay out of the injunction zones, those who are Wet’suwet’en can return to hunt, fish, trap and conduct cultural practices.
Today, in a video statement, key pipeline opposition leader of the Gidimt’en Checkpoint Sleydo’ (Molly Wickam) provided an update from the Smithers courthouse. Sleydo’, who was also arrested and charged with civil contempt of court and released with conditions on Nov.23, said that new dates were set for the case to continue.
Sleydo’ also said they were supposed to find out today if CGL intends to press criminal charges against them.
Coastal GasLink (CGL) did not say if it was looking at pressing criminal charges. A company spokesperson said CGL was unable to comment on matters before the court.
“We are in the process of reviewing disclosure materials, and have not determined how to proceed at this time,” said CGL’s spokesperson in an email statement.
The company did say that the adjournment until March 14 will allow them to continue to review disclosure materials, which they received last week. In the meantime, CGL’s lawyers will also provide these materials to the defendants’ legal counsel for their own review.
