Inquiry into mass shooting facing delays due to 'technicalities'

Photo: The Canadian Press

Nova Scotia Justice Minister Mark Furey fields question as he holds a briefing in Halifax on Tuesday, April 3, 2018. Furey says legalities and technicalities are causing delays as the provincial and federal government work out how they will jointly deliver some sort of inquiry or review into the mass shooting in April that claimed the lives of 22 Nova Scotians.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Nova Scotia's justice minister says technicalities are causing delays as the provincial and federal governments work out what form an inquiry into the April mass shooting that claimed 22 lives will take.

Mark Furey says he made a mistake last month when he suggested the terms of reference for the inquiry would be announced within days.

However, the minister said today he expects an announcement some time this month.

Furey indicated that the challenge facing legal teams in Ottawa and Halifax stems from the fact that Nova Scotia wants the probe to include a restorative justice approach.

Earlier this month, Furey said the exercise must have certain features that are common to public inquiries, including judicial leadership, the power to compel witnesses to testify and the ability to make recommendations to hold public agencies accountable for their actions.

Speaking after today's cabinet meeting, Furey hinted that grafting the restorative justice model onto a traditional public inquiry was taking time to sort out.