Green Party of Canada Leader Elizabeth May and Burnaby-South NDP MP Kennedy Stewart may be facing criminal contempt of court charges following an appearance at B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver Monday.

The pair with nearly two dozen others on March 23 for violating a court injunction that required them to stay five metres from Kinder Morgan香蕉视频直播檚 two terminal sites on Burnaby Mountain where crews were working on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

Work on Sunday, when Kinder Morgan officials said they were halting all 香蕉视频直播渘on-essential香蕉视频直播� construction, citing the B.C. government香蕉视频直播檚 opposition to the project.

香蕉视频直播淎s a matter of law, the conduct alleged is criminal contempt,香蕉视频直播� Justice Kenneth Affleck told lawyer Trevor Shaw, who was representing the attorney general of B.C., in regards to the 25 people awaiting charges on Monday.

香蕉视频直播淭hese are matters of public importance in which the attorney general ought to intervene and take over. They ought not to be left in the hands of Trans Mountain.香蕉视频直播�

Kinder Morgan香蕉视频直播檚 legal counsel Maureen Killoran told Affleck the company had filed civil charges in an attempt to bring the case to the court香蕉视频直播檚 attention, but was happy to have them converted to criminal ones.

香蕉视频直播淭his is not a dispute between the respondents and Trans Mountain, it is a dispute between the court and the respondents,香蕉视频直播� Killoran said.

Addressing the gallery, Affleck made it clear that his forthcoming judgment was not a 香蕉视频直播渕oral香蕉视频直播� judgment on Trans Mountain.

香蕉视频直播淭hese trials are limited to the issue if there has been criminal contempt of court; has there been public defiance of an order of this court?香蕉视频直播� Affleck said.

香蕉视频直播淭his trial is not about whether the work done by Trans Mountain or Kinder Morgan is lawful or environmentally wise.香蕉视频直播�

The judge recommended a one-week break, with a response from the attorney general expended next Monday morning.

All 25 accused were free to go but are to be taken into custody if they contravene the conditions of their release, including any illegal activity or future protests.

If it were to go ahead, the twinned pipeline would transport oilsands crude from central Alberta to the terminals in Burnaby and triple the pipeline香蕉视频直播檚 capacity to 890,000 barrels a day.

Protest continue outside of court

Speaking after her court date, May said Kinder Morgan香蕉视频直播檚 decision to halt work was simply 香蕉视频直播減olitical maneuvering.香蕉视频直播�

She said that the 香蕉视频直播渁rtificial deadline香蕉视频直播� of May 31 was intended to increase pressure on the B.C. government.

香蕉视频直播淲e have a strong case that this project is not in the national interest,香蕉视频直播� May said.

香蕉视频直播淭he Kinder Morgan project is one香蕉视频直播� to ship a product for which there isn香蕉视频直播檛 a market.香蕉视频直播�

May spoke in favour of building more refineries in Alberta in order to refine their bitumen instead of shipping raw product out west.

Asked if May had spoken to Alberta Premier Rachel Notley about her proposal, May said that they had one short talk but that she香蕉视频直播檇 been unable to secure a full meeting.

Errol Povah was one of the 25 people arrested on March 23. He stayed outside the courtroom, he said, because his order to appear is only for June 6.

香蕉视频直播淚 am just out here today supporting those arrestees who are inside,香蕉视频直播� the Surrey resident said.

Povah believes the pipeline expansion is bad for B.C. because of 香蕉视频直播渢he climate change issue, the risk to B.C. of a pipeline leak or a tanker collision or grounding.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 concerned about the marine environment, most notably the orcas,香蕉视频直播� Povah said.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e got 76 resident orcas remaining, and they should not be put at risk.香蕉视频直播�

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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