New Brunswick·New
The Saint John Board of Police Commissioners and Chief Robert Bruce have lost a bid to permanently deny public access to all court documents related to conduct complaints nine officers filed against the chief.
Saint John Board of Police Commissioners, Chief Robert Bruce lose bid for permanent sealing order
Listen to this article
Estimated 5 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Robert Bruce has been chief of the Saint John Police Force since July 2021. (Graham Thompson/CBC)
The Saint John Board of Police Commissioners and Chief Robert Bruce have lost a bid to permanently deny public access to all court documents related to conduct complaints nine officers filed against the chief.
Court of King’s Bench Justice Kathryn Gregory has dismissed a motion to continue a temporary sealing order on roughly 500 pages in the file that reveal “directly or indirectly, the specifics and/or the substance” of the complaints.
Taxpayers have “a great deal invested in the police” and “an interest in the goings on in police departments given the public nature of policing,” and the “great powers” given to police, Gregory wrote.
“Police complaints, even … in the context of employment related issues, are of concern and interest to the public.”
The decision stems from a request for a judicial review the nine Saint John Police Force officers filed in September after the Saint John board and New Brunswick Police Commission dismissed their complaints against Bruce under the Police Act.
This story was brought to Nouzie by RSS. The original post can be found on https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/saint-john-police-chief-complaints-officers-public-judge-sealing-order-9.7133524?cmp=rss
