Manitoba Wildlands  
BC Great-Grandmother Appeals Conviction for Protesting 29 September 10

Betty Krawczyk At the tender age of 82, Betty Krawczyk, a long-time Vancouver based social activist, ecowarrior, women's rights advocate, and great-grandmother is no stranger to prison. Mrs. Krawczyk's has been convicted for criminal contempt on five separate occasions for blocking logging operations.

Her most recent incarceration ended in September 2007 when Krawczyk stepped out of the B.C. Alouette Correctional Centre for Women after serving seven months behind bars for criminal contempt of court. The charge revolved around Krawczyk defying a court injunction to stay away from West Vancouver's Eagleridge Bluffs, which were being bulldozed to widen the Sea-to-Sky Highway ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Upon release Krawczyk launched an appeal on the basis her breach of the court order was protected by her right to freedom of expression under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The B.C. Court of Appeal dismissed the case in 2009, and further leave to the Supreme Court of Canada was denied in 2010.

Krawczyk, appealed her sentence seeking a new trial on the basis she was sentenced to ten months (serving seven) when the law says six months is the maximum for conviction under the summary process used in her trial. Krawczyk and her supporters were particularly upset the B.C. Attorney General took the position, citing case law that involved repeat pedophilia offenders, that if the sentence was to be re-examined it should be elevated upward because Krawczyk's repeat offenses meant she could be declared a dangerous offender and possibly put away for life.

Krawczyk and her supporters held a rally on the steps of the Courthouse before Krawczyk's most recent court appearance September 22, 2010. Judgment was reserved, and will be released at a later date.

Listen to the CBC Radio podcast (mp3)
View September 20, 2010 Rabble.ca article
View September 22, 2010 Straight.com article
View September 24, 2010 National Post article
View September 25, 2010 Vancouver Sun article
View September 26, 2010 Environmental News Service article
View B.C. Supreme Court Decision R. v. Krawczyk, 2007 BCSC 2011 (Conviction)
View B.C. Supreme Court Decision, R. v. Krawczyk, 2007 BCSC 345 (Sentencing)
View B.C. Court of Appeal, R. v. Krawczyk, 2009 BCCA 250 (Appeal)
View Supreme Court of Canada, 2010 S.C.C. 25908, Betty Krawczyk v. Her Majesty the Queen
Source: Rabble.ca, Straight.com
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