Koskie Minsky LLP and McEwan Partners have commenced a class a class action against the Province of British Columbia alleging human rights violations relating to the over-use of solitary confinement in British Columbia prisons.
The statement of Claim is issued on November 26th 2018 alleges, among other things, that British Columbia’s overuse of solitary confinement is negligent and constitutes a number of breaches of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in placing prisoners in solitary confinement for prolonged periods.
Please note that this action is in a preliminary stage and the court has not yet set the class definition. Currently, the proposed class is composed of those persons who, between April 18, 2005 and the present were involuntarily subjected to either:
- “Prolonged Solitary Confinement” (being in Solitary confinement for at least fifteen consecutive days); or
- Solitary confinement when the person suffers from a mental illness (“Solitary Confinement of Mental Health Disordered Inmates”)
Naveah North is the proposed representative plaintiff. She was incarcerated at Prince George Regional Correction Centre, in Prince George, British Columbia from April 2014 to May 2018 and has been subjected to both Prolonged Solitary Confinement and Solitary Confinement of Mental Health Disordered Inmates during her incarceration.
For further information:
Toll Free number: 1-877-398-0497
Email: bcadminsegclassaction@kmlaw.ca