Lawyers for both sides have agreed to February 25, 2004 as the hearing date for a summary trial application in a lawsuit filed by a dozen MBA students at the University of British Columbia over the 321% increase in their tuition fees for their program that commenced in August of 2002.

The students allege that they accepted UBC’s offer of admission to the MBA program on its representation that their tuition fees would be $7,000, “subject to adjustment…” After they paid their deposits to reserve places in the program, UBC suddenly and without warning “adjusted” their tuition to $28,000.

The students allege that UBC’s conduct constituted breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and/or misrepresentation by ommission on the part of UBC and are seeking compensation from the Court.

The case will be heard by the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

The public hearing into Julie Berg’s complaint of alleged police brutality against her brother has been adjourned by the presiding adjudicator, at the joint request of counsel for the Police Complaint Commissioner and counsel for the Respondent, David Bruce-Thomas. It is now expected to begin on June 9, 2004.

Jeffrey Michael Berg, 37, died after being arrested by Vancouver Police Department Constable Bruce-Thomas on October 22, 2000. Ms. Berg filed a formal complaint on November 23, 2000, but no hearing has yet been held. The family also requested a Coroner’s Inquest, and are still awaiting the Coroner’s decision in that regard.

The public hearing into the circumstances surrounding the death of Jeff Berg is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 19, 2004 in Vancouver. Berg, 37 was apprehended by a member of the Vancouver Police Department on October 22, 2000. He suffered severe head and neck trauma, died at the scene, and was revived by paramedics. After two days on life support, he died of his injuries.

Mr. Ward has been retained to represent the interests of the family at the hearing, which is expected to last three weeks.

For more information, please view the family’s website: www.justiceforjeff.com

On Monday, January 12, 2004, the BC Coroners Service will commence an inquest into the death of Thomas Evon Stevenson, who was shot by Vancouver police on December 7, 2002 as he sat in a disabled car in the 400 block of East Pender Street. The inquest will be held at Coroner’s Court, Suite 2035, 4720 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC and is expected to last one week. Cameron Ward will be representing the interests of Mr. Stevenson’s family in the proceedings.

The trial of five people on charges of assaulting police officers, being members of an unlawful assembly and causing a disturbance has been adjourned after eight days of testimony. It is expected to resume in March of 2004.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on October 3, 2002 outside the Britannia Community Centre, just off Commercial Drive in Vancouver. A group of local mothers had congregated there to protest provincial government cutbacks in anticipation of a visit by Premier Gordon Campbell.

Mr. Campbell called off his visit, but the police moved in anyway. The evidence of the police witnesses at trial confirms that the crowd became angry after Rev. George Feenstra, a 53 year old United Church minister, was arrested, handcuffed and pushed face-first into a wall by two police officers.

Several other demonstrators were subsequently arrested and taken into custody. They were handcuffed and put into two police wagons. The wagons were driven to a parking lot adjacent to a Canadian Tire store, where they were met by an estimated 40-60 uniformed and armed police officers. Two of the demonstrators allege that they were threatened by the police at the Canadian Tire store and are seeking a stay of the criminal proceedings based on alleged violations of their constitutional rights.

The trial is expected to resume in March, 2004 before Provincial Court Judge Smyth at 222 Main Street in Vancouver (Court File No. 138904).