Final arguments are set to begin in a wrongful conviction lawsuit between a North Vancouver man and the province of B.C.
Ivan Henry spent more than 26 years in jail for a series of sexual assaults the B.C. Court of Appeal acquitted him of in 2010.
In 2011, Henry sued the City of Vancouver, the province and the federal government for their respective roles in the investigation, prosecution and imprisonment.
But over the last two weeks, the city and the federal government have settled with Henry, leaving only the province in the civil trial.
“He was very pleased about the settlement with the federal government but he appreciates there are still other issues and we still have a trial to complete,” said Marilyn Sandford, one of Henry’s lawyers.
The city had argued that Henry was in fact guilty of the crimes before abandoning those claims and reaching a settlement. In a statement read to the court by Henry’s lawyer John Laxton and agreed to by the federal government, those allegations were disavowed by the federal government.
Henry’s lawyers will present final arguments in court starting on Monday, with the province likely to make its arguments soon after.
