Today’s Victoria Times-Colonist has an editorial on what it calls the “colossal failure” of our legal system’s inability to get a high-profile fraud case to trial: “Legislature raids, five years later: A dismal failure.”

This is not the only high profile BC criminal fraud case that has been subject to inordinate investigative and procedural delay. Take the case of Martin Wirick and Tarsem Gill, who were charged more than six years after their alleged massive real estate fraud came to light. No word yet on when, or if, they will face trial:

2 charged in $30 fraud scheme – Vancouver Sun

Or how about the case of Ian Thow, who was charged a few months ago, three years after he skipped the country, leaving investors howling that he had bilked them out of millions:

Crown charges Thow with 25 counts of fraud – Victoria Times-Colonist

The British Columbia criminal justice system seems to have a lot of trouble completing investigations and getting these types of cases to trial. Perhaps Conrad Black might offer us some advice on how to make our system more efficient. He has plenty of time on his hands these days…those who have followed his exploits will recall that he resigned his chairmanship of Hollinger Inc. in January of 2004 (the month after the BC Legislature raid) and was subsequently investigated, charged, convicted and sentenced to 6 1/2 years in jail. He may have served his time before the Basi/Virk trial even begins…