by BETTER FARMING STAFF
An Ontario Superior Court Justice has found self-described whistleblower Norman Bourdeau was in contempt of a court order when he disseminated documents dealing with his former employer’s egg grading business last year.
Justice P.D. Lauwers’ July 28 decision refers to a June 10 hearing in Oshawa where he heard arguments for and against finding Bourdeau in contempt.
On Feb. 12, 2010, Justice J. Corkery ordered Bourdeau to deliver all evidence or documents in his possession with respect to the business of egg grader L.H. Gray and Son Limited to a supervising solicitor in Kitchener. Later, Bourdeau distributed copies of 250 emails of correspondence between L.H. Gray and its customers and a file concerning egg grading to Gray’s customers and to agricultural regulatory bodies across Canada, including the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission.
In the July 28 decision, Lauwers wrote that: “I find that Mr. Bourdeau breached the order by retaining a copy of some of the evidence that he was obliged to file with the supervising solicitor and by disseminating it. He thereby interfered with the business of the court. Mr. Bourdeau’s acts themselves were deliberate and wilful; while I do not find that he disdains the order or the judicial system, I do find that he was indifferent to terms of the court order and reckless.”
On Oct. 13, Lauwers will hear arguments regarding penalties and costs. BF
Egg case archive
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July 29, 2011
Order to pay court costs thrown out in egg industry civil suit
An Ontario Superior Court Justice has tossed out a motion to hold egg industry whistleblower Norman Bourdeau in contempt of a court order.bf
fast forward over a long weekend...
August 2, 2011
An Ontario Superior Court Justice has found self-described whistleblower Norman Bourdeau was in contempt of a court order when he disseminated documents dealing with his former employer’s egg grading business last year.bf
One has to wonder where the disconnect is in the courts or the reporting of the news.
In a four day interval over a long weekend with courts and most law firms closed, how can such conflicting reports of superior court rulings both be based in law or accurate?
To keep messing around like this will result in a mis-trial to which I am sure OFPMC and an egg minister will breath a collective sigh of relief with no justice served to anyone.
It might appear the egg minister and OFPMC's in trust duty of protective marketing for the consuming public, is pressure mapping a very hilly, crooked road to justice.
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