September 28, 2010 Iqaluit

I am home now but just wanted to add a final bit of information.


In Iqaluit, Jessica and I did French trial week. We split up the files. It was uneventful but good. There was a mining trade show in town so the restaurants were very busy. 
There were peopleI riding on ATVs but there were many more vehicles. One night there was a cruise ship in the harbour and many people at the restaurants and bars. I am sure you know this, but not sure I did, the harbour has quite a high and low tide. There was also an ice berg that was stuck from the tide going in and out. But nothing else was frozen. 


I included a photo of the court house in one of the earlier posts. But I did take some photos of the court rooms. There are three court rooms, one on the main level that is JP court where first appearances and bail applications are made. The two court rooms on the second level are for trials and setting trial dates. I was not very proficient at pronouncing the Inuit names. We called out our own cases generally because we knew who was there and what was ready to proceed or to be spoken to. Most accused were represented by duty counsel. Only one person appeared that week who did not have a lawyer and he was urged to make arrangements for counsel. One lawyer came from Quebec as he does on most French trial weeks (but he does not come for the really cold one in January), Mr Rancour. He represented Guy LaFleur apparently. Some matters were spoken to in French and there was one matter set down for trial in French.


The Justices wear a seal skin jacket. The clerks wear a black robe the shape of a parka with seal skin. There is a restriction by Nunavut Territory on the importing of European wines for the countries who are boycotting the seal hunt. There were a few funny posters around town about this as well. 


The upstairs court rooms are very nice. I did not go into the downstairs one but assume that it would be similar. There is blond wood. The wall behind the justices has panels and has the shape of an igloo cut into the panels. One court room has granite in the wood in the shape of the igloo. The railings separating the public from the lawyers, clerks, translators and court reporters is in the shape of the qamutik (sled) and even has the rope. 
Here is one of the court rooms: 

and the clerk kindly posing with her 'robe':

and this is a photo of the railing in the court room that did not have the outline of the igloo in granite:

It was a very interesting experience. Hope that you enjoyed it