British Columbia. Commission of Inquiry Pursuant to Order-in-Council No.1885, July 5, 1979 [Vogel Inquiry]

Government

British Columbia. Commission of Inquiry Pursuant to Order-in-Council No.1885, July 5, 1979 [Vogel Inquiry]

• Commission of Inquiry Pursuant to Order-in-Council No.1885, July 5, 1979 [Vogel Inquiry]

1979

Appointed by Order-in-Council no. 1885, July 5, 1979. Commissioner: the Honourable Mr. Justice P.D. Seaton. Reported October 23, 1979. The commissioner, Justice Peter D. Seaton of the Court of Appeal, was appointed to investigate an allegation by Provincial Court Judge Philip Govan that Deputy Attorney General Richard Vogel, or some unnamed person in the ministry of Attorney General, had interfered with the independence of Judge Govan by requesting that he be transferred elsewhere. Judge Philip Govan had ruled a chapter of the Family Relations Act (S.B.C. 1978, c. 20) to be ultra vires. Govan alleged he was requested by the Attorney-General's ministry to transfer himself elsewhere in the province and that this constituted interference with judicial independence. No evidence of intentional impropriety or sinister conduct was found but the Commissioner cautioned the Ministry in his report that the judiciary had its own independent function and is not intended to assist the Executive as part of a team. Seaton cautioned against inappropriate communication between the Judiciary and the Executive.

B Government Name

Revised PW/KH 2017-02-24
Revised: RMCRORY 2020-05-21 additional admin history added from GR-0708

Central Name Authority File
Bennett