Politics
Tuesday October 14, 2008
Order of Canada Member Launches Legal Challenge to Morgentaler Award
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
By Thaddeus M. Baklinski
WINDSOR, Ontario, October 14, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Retired Windsor police detective and Order of Canada member Frank Chauvin has launched a legal challenge against the Advisory Council for the Order of Canada that granted the award to abortionist Henry Morgentaler.
The Windsor Star reports that Mr. Chauvin bases his challenge on irregularities in the decision process regarding Morgentaler's appointment, and that Chief Justice of Canada Beverley McLachlin, who chairs the council, should have removed herself from the process because Morgentaler is a litigant in a court case against the government of New Brunswick.
Mr. Chauvin's lawyer, Gerard Charette, said the advisory council made "a whole range of errors," and has made a court application that seeks to have the award cancelled.
"This is a unique council, but it is a government entity. And most government boards and tribunals are subject to being reviewed by courts when they make decisions that are incorrect," Mr. Charette said.
"This is not the way they're supposed to choose," Mr. Chauvin said. "It's quite evident that it's entered into a political arena. ... I don't think in the history of this medal there's ever been so much controversy over someone receiving the Order of Canada."
The Canadian Family Action Coalition (CFAC) filed a formal letter of complaint to the Canadian Judicial Council in August on behalf of 42 separate organizations, representing a membership of over 1 million, charging that "the conduct of Advisory Council Chair, chief justice McLachlin, through the process of awarding Dr. Henry Morgentaler the Order of Canada demonstrates bias, political agenda and a wanton disregard for the Constitution of the Order of Canada and time honored regulations."
The CFAC asked for an investigation into judicial misconduct on the part of McLachlin when, after the July 1 announcement of the nomination of Morgentaler to the Order, rumors began to surface in the media that McLachlin had spearheaded the effort to grant the award to the abortionist.
The Canadian Judicial Council dismissed the complaint at the end of September in a letter addressed to CFAC, saying, "On the face of your letter, there is no merit, nor any facts to support, your allegation."
Mr. Chauvin told the Windsor Star that though he does not expect the advisory council to reverse its decision because of his legal challenge he will continue to press his suit forward.
"It's something we have to do. The whole thing is such a mess."
Mr. Chauvin also said that whether the court application succeeds or fails he will return his medal in protest, joining ten other recipients of the Order of Canada who have returned their medals to the Governor-General in protest of Morgentaler's appointment.
"It's going in, one way or another. I have not changed my mind one iota. I made a commitment, and it's going to be returned. When it's going to be returned is another thing, but it's definitely going. I am not keeping the medal," Mr. Chauvin said.
Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Forty-two Organizations Appeal to Have Canadian Supreme Court Chief Justice Removed from Office over Morgentaler Affair
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/aug/08081401.html
Canada Supreme Court Justice Denies Involvement in Order of Canada to Abortionist
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/aug/08081804.html
Judicial Council Dismisses Complaint against Chief Justice over Morgentaler Award
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/oct/08100203.html
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 220 - 215
- Stupak Amendment to Health Care Bill Passes 240 - 194 Saturday Evening
- NY Times: Dems Banking on Later Squeezing Pro-Life Language Out of Bill in Committee
- USCCB Spokesman: "Definitely Not True" that Bishops Support Bill As it Stands
- TIME Got it Wrong - Prof. George Opposed Grandiose Kennedy Funeral
- Major Health Care Development - Pro-Life Stupak Amendment Vote OK'd for Saturday
- USCCB Condemnation Tears Facade off "Phony" Abortion Compromise for Health Bill
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholic Left
- Dirty Fighting on Abortion Funding: Word-Games and Health-Care Theatrics Boggle the Mind
- Commentary on November 6 News
- Note to LifeSiteNews Subscribers with Rogers email addresses
- New York Gov. Declares Nov. 10 Extraordinary Legislative Session for Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Washington's Pro-Family Amendment Effort Defeated - R-71 Almost Certain to Pass
- Vote Pushed Back on Canadian Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Bill to Dec. 2
- Elderly U.K. Couple in Good Health Commit Suicide, Complain of Assisted Suicide Law
- Texas Late-Term Abortionist and Baptist Minister Admits: "Am I killing? Yes, I am"
- New Evidence Contradicts CCHD's Findings on Accused Pro-Abortion Partner
- Quebec Priest Denies Possibility of Sexual Reorientation Therapy on TV
- New Hampshire Same-Sex "Marriage" Law in Crosshairs after Maine's Law Crumbles
- Brooklyn Bishop Criticized for Recorded Message Praising Pro-Abortion Politician
- First Group of "Traditionalist" Anglicans in Britain Votes to Enter Catholic Church
Most Read this Week
- Planned Parenthood Director Resigns after Watching Ultrasound of Abortion Procedure
- Nun Defiant Following Rebuke, but Stops Abortion Escorting
- Breaking: Dominican Community Apologizes for Nun Caught Acting as Abortion Escort
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholics Left
- Over 200 Christendom College Students Protest Abortion at Planned Parenthood Clinic
- US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 218 to 215
- Newly Identified Corporate Supporters of Planned Parenthood Named
- Scottish Gay Rights Activists Found Guilty of Pedophilia Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
- Major Health Care Bill Development - Stupak Hyde Amendment Vote OK'd
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.