Pubdate: Tues, 9 Mar 1999
Source: Vancouver Province (Canada)
Copyright: The Province, Vancouver 1999
Contact:  http://www.vancouverprovince.com/
Author: Jack Keating

CANNABIS CAFE HEARING LIKE 'KANGAROO COURT'

The city's ongoing show-cause hearing against Hemp B.C. and the Cannabis
Cafe was called a "joke" and a "kangeroo court" by lawyers for the owner.

"It's a joke in terms of the city's judicial process," said Brent Lokash,
lawyer for Shelley Francis, who owns the two marijuana emporiums on West
Hastings in Vancouver.

Lokash said Coun. George Puil , who is chairing the hearing, is "conducting
it like a kangeroo court."

Puil took the chair after Mayor Phillip Owen disqualified himself from the
hearing when he was accused of bias after telling the New York Times last
summer that Hemp B.C. and the Cannabis Cafe would "be toast by September."

"I do not hink Mr. Puil as chairman understands his role in conducting a
fair hearing,"said Lokash.

Lokash and City of Vancouver lawyer John Nelson reached an agreement last
November whereby Francis agreed to withdraw a challenge under the Charter of
Rights and Freedoms and to proceed with the hearing.

In exchange the city agreed not to bring up criminal charges she faces for
selling drug paraphenalia such as pipes and rolling papers.

"(The city) has an agreement not to refer to her criminal proceedings and
it's beyond blatantly violating it," said Lokash.

"And we made an agreement with the city, not just with Nelson but with the
whole city, as to how the hearing was going to be conducted and they are
more than violating it."

"It's like they ripped up the agreement and are shoving it in everybody's
face," said Lokash.

" Puil doesn't seem to care. I think Puil thinks...he's just supposed to
listen to whatever Nelson says. Mr. Puil is not conducting it in a fair
way."

Lawyer Jim Millar also is appalled by the city's handling of the
proceedings. "I've never seen anything like it," said Millar, who is also
representing Francis.

When asked if the city had tricked Francis into proceeding with the
Show-cause hearing, Lokash said; "I don't think they tricked us. They just
don't honour their commitments."

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