Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Vice-Chief Kim Jonathan said she wasn’t surprised to learn Gerald Stanley’s acquittal in the death of 22-year-old Colten Boushie won’t be appealed.
Her comments come a day after Saskatchewan’s assistant deputy attorney general stated there was no error in law that would reasonably make a “material difference” in the result of the case.
The group representing 74 Saskatchewan First Nations is calling for a royal commission into the Saskatchewan justice system and for every piece of the legal process to be examined in the Boushie case.
“We want an independent body to investigate it, so the police are not investigating themselves,” Jonathan said.
Boushie died after he and others from the Red Pheasant First Nation drove into Stanley’s farmyard near Biggar, Sask. in August 2016.
During trial, the defence called the man’s death a “freak accident,” resulting from the delayed firing of a gun known as a hang fire.
Stanley was acquitted last month.
In a statement provided Thursday, Stanley’s defence lawyer offered “unreserved condolences” to Boushie’s family.
“The Stanley family is relieved that the criminal process is now complete, but this is not a happy day. A young man died, that is a terrible tragedy. There is no going back; there is no making it right,” Scott Spencer wrote.
“We hope that with time the Boushie/Baptiste family can begin to heal.”
The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) for the RCMP said Tuesday the watchdog will look into how police handled the investigation into Boushie’s death.
Asked on Wednesday, Boushie family lawyer Chris Murphy said it was too early to say whether or not his clients will launch a civil suit against Stanley.
University of Saskatchewan law professor Glen Luther said he could see a suit for damages happening in this instance.
While a criminal case must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, a civil case is measured on a balance of probability, Luther said.
“We’re going to hear about this case for a very long time,” he said.