Trial to take ten months, rather than six weeks
Renee Bernard
VICTORIA (NEWS1 130) – A legal case involving legislature employees that has been brewing for years could take another year to resolve.
Justice Anne MacKenzie says the trial against former ministerial aides Dave Basi and Bobby Virk might not wrap up until next March. Initially, the trial against the two was supposed to last only six weeks.
The case began building back in 2003, and resulted in charges of fraud and breach of trust against the two.
News 1130 legal expert Michael Shapray says it is a surprising turn of events.
"It’s very, very unusual for a case that had so much time and preparation put into it, to be so far off with respect to how long it would take," he says. He adds the costs to stage the trial will increase exponentially thanks to the new length of time.
Two jurors are said to be reconsidering their initial commitment. Shapray says the trial can still go ahead with only ten jurors, but it doesn’t leave any room for any future juror fall out.