Nova Scotia in talks for agency to investigate wrongful conviction of Glen Assoun

Glen Assoun stands outside the Supreme Court in Halifax on Friday, July 12, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia's police watchdog is in talks with a civilian agency that is interested in investigating the role of police in the wrongful murder conviction of Glen Assoun, provincial justice officials confirmed Thursday.

But Justice Minister Barbara Adams gave few details following a cabinet meeting, saying only that further comment would come from the province's police oversight agency, the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT).

"We are aware that there is a civilian organization that is interested and willing to take the case on, but right now they are going through the process of determining if they are able to do so," Adams said.

Assoun, who died in June 2023 at age 67, was acquitted in March 2019 of the 1995 killing of his ex-girlfriend, Brenda Lee Anne Way, after spending almost 17 years in prison. A preliminary assessment by the federal Justice Department determined that the RCMP had chosen not to disclose an investigator's theories about other suspects in the murder case, and that the Mounties had destroyed most of this potential evidence.

In September 2020, the oversight agency was asked by then-justice minister Brad Johns to investigate whether police had engaged in criminal misconduct. In March 2021, the agency announced that British Columbia's police watchdog had agreed to look into the case, only to reveal last November that the B.C. agency dropped out because its members were too busy.

SIRT director Erin Nauss said Thursday she has been in talks with another civilian-led oversight body since late last year.

"Unfortunately, there's not much to share at this point because we are still in negotiations," Nauss said in an interview. "I'm optimistic that we'll have something to announce soon."

The director cited heavy workloads and a general lack of resources behind the "unacceptable delay" in restarting the investigation since the B.C. agency stepped back.

"Pretty much all of the leadership of those (oversight) organizations that I spoke to were very interested in assisting with the file, but they weren't able to do so," Nauss said. "Resourcing is a big issue across the country. Additional resources may alleviate some of this."

Nauss said it's important to recognize that most of the police oversight bodies in Canada are relatively new, with Ontario the first to establish an independent, civilian-led organization in 1990. Newfoundland and Labrador established its police watchdog in 2019, followed by Saskatchewan last year. Prince Edward Island does not yet have an oversight body, while New Brunswick has been covered by Nova Scotia's independent watchdog since 2023.

Nauss confirmed her agency would cover the costs of the Assoun investigation.

Meanwhile, Adams said she recognizes the urgency of reopening the Assoun file, and didn't rule out additional support from the province.

"The first step is for SIRT to find an organization," the minister said. "How this will be funded will be a discussion after that has been determined."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2024.

-- With files from Michael MacDonald in Halifax.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.