New
book from UBC Press
asks
some probing questions about the APEC affair
--
coming in March
Pepper in Our Eyes
The APEC
Affair
Edited
by W. Wesley Pue
In November 1997, the world media converged on Vancouver to cover a meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. A predictable student protest met unusually strong police response. Amongst many others, a news cameraman was pepper-sprayed by a police officer, producing a dramatic videotape which has played repeatedly since.
Other news stories developed. Two dozen law professors wrote to the Prime Minister recording a number of serious constitutional violations which had taken place on campus. One protestor, held for fourteen hours by police for displaying a sign saying “free speech,” launched legal proceedings. Other lawsuits followed. Canada’s national police force and the government of Canada were named as defendants, and a public inquiry was launched into the whole matter. A central issue is whether the Prime Minister’s officials gave orders of a political nature to police which resulted in law-abiding citizens being assaulted and arrested.
For all the sound and fury, however, many observers are left wondering “why the fuss?” Most probably share the view of a mid-career lawyer who asked, as the issue was reaching crescendo: “so what if the Prime Minister gave orders to the police?”
The contributors to Pepper in Our Eyes maintain that the “so what” question is vitally important. Experts in a variety of fields draw upon their knowledge to explain the background issues and the values at stake in plain English. They contend that the APEC events raised serious questions relating to constitutional principle, the role of police in democratic society, and the effects of globalization on rights and politics.
Contents
Canada’s APEC Summit, 1997
Policing,
the Rule of Law, and Accountability in Canada: Lessons from the APEC Summit
W. Wesley Pue
Constitutional Fundamentals
Free
Speech, Democracy, and the Question of Political Influence Andrew D. Irvine /
“Relax a Bit in the Nation”: Constitutional Law 101 and the APEC Affair Margot
E. Young / The APEC Protest, the Rule
of Law, and Civilian Oversight of Canada’s National Police Force Donald J. Sorochan, QC
/ The Significance of the APEC Affair Joel
Bakan
Policing and Accountability
Someone
to Watch over Me: Government Supervision of the RCMP: Dilemmas of Control
and Accountability Philip C. Stenning / Hand
in Glove? Politicians, Policing, and Canadian Political Culture Nelson
Wiseman / Forcing the Issues: Police
Intervention at the APEC Protest Constable Gil Puder
Public Accountability in a Free and Democratic Society
Forces
of Journalism Terry
Milewski / Personal Reflections on
the Ill-fated First Leg of the APEC Inquiry Gerald Morin /
“Raising the Dough”: Funding for Lawyers at Public Inquiries Karen
Busby
Globalization and Canadian Rights
The
1997 APEC Summit and the Security of Internationally Protected Persons: Did
Someone Say “Suharto”? Obiora Chinedu Okafor / A Whole
Theatre of Others: A Personal Account of APEC 1997 Arnab
Guha / Whither APEC?
Primer Jane
Kelsey
ISBN
0-7748-0779-2
More
information from: http://www.ubcpress.ubc.ca/about.htm