The world will be a little emptier this year without Nelson Mandela in it, an iconic figure who exuded grace and dignity in the face of overwhelming inhumanity, cruelty and injustice.  He will certainly be missed.

Cameron Ward has recently been elected as a bencher of the Law Society of British Columbia, representing the County of Vancouver.

“I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to serve on our governing body”, said Mr. Ward.  “Any lawyer who has issues of concern regarding the governance of our profession can contact me any time.  I welcome new ideas and look forward to bringing a fresh perspective to the benchers’ table.”

Mr. Ward has been elected for a two year term commencing January 1, 2014.

The coroner’s inquest into the death of Greg Matters will resume in Prince George on January 27, 2014.

The coroner’s inquest into the death of Greg Matters continues Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at the Prince George courthouse, with the resumption of the testimony of Greg’s mother Lorraine.  Further witnesses will include the RCMP members who were present when Greg Matters was shot twice in the back when he was confronted at his mother’s rural Prince George property on Monday, September 10, 2012.  The coroner and jury have heard that RCMP Cpl. Colin Warwick fired the fatal shots.

RCMP Cpl. Colin Warwick (aka Cpl. Collin Warwick) with his police service dog “Baron”; May, 2013

The shots that killed Greg Matters were fired from a Colt .223 calibre M-16 inscribed with the words “Live Free or Die”, depicted in this photograph taken soon after the incident:

According to a public report issued by the Independent Investigations Office in May, 2013, the police actions in shooting Greg Matters were not criminal because, according to police witnesses, Matters was brandishing a small hatchet (approximately 11 inches long with a four inch blade) above his head when he was shot.

There were no civilian witnesses to the shooting.  Despite jury recommendations made by coroner’s juries in many previous fatal RCMP shootings, the RCMP ERT team members apparently did not have video recording devices with them when they were deployed.

A coroner’s inquest into the death of Greg Matters begins Monday, October 7, 2013 in Prince George, BC.  Matters, a 40 year old Canadian Forces veteran suffering from PTSD after his return from Bosnia, was fatally shot on September 10, 2012 at his rural Prince George home by a heavily armed member of the RCMP’s Emergency Response Team.  According to police, Matters had disobeyed commands to drop a small hatchet just before he was shot.