A Calgary judge has ruled that Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health Deena Hinshaw should disclose details of her confidential discussions with Jason Kenney’s Cabinet about pandemic restrictions and recommendations.
Queen’s Bench Judge Barbara Romaine issued a seven -page decision in which she said that the public interest in the disclosure of Dr.’s answers. Hinshaw [à trois] The questions posed by the Court are beyond the public interest in keeping the evidence confidential.
The move comes after government lawyers denied Dr. Hinshaw to disclose information requested by Jeffrey Rath, one of the attorneys for a group of plaintiffs, during cross-examination.
A group of Albertans, including people who go to churches and gyms, have launched a legal challenge to declare pandemic -related health laws unconstitutional.
The judge indicated that Dr. had to answer. Hinshaw asked three questions to present the case to a adequate and fair.
Cross-examination
Earlier this month, Dr. Hinshaw reviewed his 206-page affidavit filed in the case, detailing pandemic statistics, timelines and decision-making frameworks related to health restrictions in both recent years.
During the cross-examination, Jeffrey Rath asked Dr. Hinshaw to name the recommendations he made that were ignored or followed by directions that were contrary to those recommendations.
Lawyers for the Alberta government presented a document from Sonya Savage, then Minister of Justice, stating that details of the discussions should be kept confidential, as disclosure of them. could adversely affect future Cabinet discussions, which would negatively affect the democratic governance of the Province of Alberta.
three questions
Questions focused on whether the Prime Minister and Cabinet had called for stricter restrictions than recommended, to target specific groups such as churches, gyms, schools and small businesses and whether previously he recommended that the restrictions be removed or loosened at some point. and that this recommendation was rejected or ignored by the Cabinet.
The judge put these three questions to Dr. Hinshaw at a closed hearing to determine if the answers to these questions will be public and will be part of the evidence at the hearing.
He concluded that the questions and answers did not reflect any disagreement between the ministers, or their views or the details of the recommendations of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
County attorneys have previously said they will consider appealing the judge’s decision if he or she decides the answers should be released.
No deadline has been set for the publication of responses to questions posed to Drs. Deena Hinshaw.
With information from Meghan Grant
Source: Radio-Canada
