The federal government has made a significant decision to appeal the conviction of a First Nations man, Russell Woodhouse, who passed away 14 years ago. This case involves the killing of a restaurant worker in Winnipeg, and the review conducted by Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser revealed reasonable grounds to suspect a miscarriage of justice had occurred.
Woodhouse, a member of the Pinaymootang First Nation in Manitoba, was one of four indigenous men implicated in the beating and stabbing death of Ting Fong Chan back in 1973. While the other three men were later cleared of the charges due to wrongful convictions and systemic discrimination in the legal process, Woodhouse’s posthumous appeal marks a unique instance under the Criminal Code.
The convictions in this case were primarily based on statements given to the police in English, despite the men primarily speaking Salteaux as their first language. This development sheds light on the complexities of the justice system and the challenges faced by indigenous individuals within it.