VICTORIA –Liberal Attorney General Shirley Bond was forced to apologize for misleading the public and misquoting New Democrat MLA Leonard Krog when he challenged the Liberals on their misplaced priorities for fixing the problems plaguing British Columbia’s courts.

Krog, the official opposition critic for the attorney general, said in the legislature Thursday, “The attorney general misrepresented my position regarding cameras in the courtrooms for the Stanley Cup riot trials. Further, she wrongly attributed a quote to me, when in fact it was made by someone else.”

On Wednesday, New Democrats were challenging the Liberals’ priority of turning the Stanley Cup trials into Hollywood-style TV proceedings instead of addressing the real issue facing our courts – a shortage of resources such as judges and sheriffs.

Krog said in question period Wednesday, “Criminals aren’t walking free in B.C. because there weren’t cameras in the courtrooms. They’re walking free because trials have been delayed or cancelled due to a shortage of sheriffs and judges.”

Krog asked the premier “if she will get away from the cameras on this issue, and take the issues facing our courts seriously and hire more judges?”

Minister Bond rose to defend the premier by misrepresenting Krog’s position. In doing so, she quoted CFAX radio host Murray Langdon from a March 19, 2010 interview, but wrongfully attributed the quote to Krog.

Krog said the attorney general of all people should know better as she is not an ordinary MLA, and is not an ordinary cabinet minister.

As stated by William H. Davies, Q.C., Commissioner of the Frank Paul Inquiry, “In British Columbia, the attorney general has a dual role. As the chief law officer of the crown, he or she has an independent responsibility to consider, objectively and independently of partisan concerns, what actions…must be taken to uphold the rule of law.”

In Krog’s demand for an apology on Thursday, he stated that his position on cameras in courtrooms remains the same today as it was on March 19, 2010 when he said the idea of putting cameras in courtrooms “is essentially a public relations exercise by the government to draw attention away from their miserable record around justice in this province.”

Later Thursday morning, the attorney general rose in the house, admitted her mistake and apologized to the legislature for her comments.

Backgrounder attached: statement_by_leonard_krog_october_6_2011