Younger cites legislative privilege in not attending assault case
Posted Nov 5, 2015 10:57:47 AM.
Last Updated Nov 5, 2015 11:09:10 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s environment minister says he didn’t show up for a court hearing for a woman accused of assaulting him because he was not asked to waive a legislative privilege that prevented him from testifying in a criminal matter.
Andrew Younger spent almost 50 minutes today answering questions about his failure to appear in provincial court Wednesday for the matter involving Tara Gault, who is reportedly a former Liberal staff member.
Younger said repeatedly that he simply followed a law that says a sitting members of the legislature cannot be called to testify in civil and criminal matters without being asked to waive the exemption.
He says he was not trying to avoid testifying in the case, which the judge dismissed after a request for an adjournment was denied.
Gault pleaded not guilty to the charge stemming from an alleged assault on or about Oct. 22, 2013, the day the Liberal government assumed power after the last provincial election.
Younger refused to discuss the nature of his relationship with Gault, saying only that he had a personal relationship with her that has ended and that he and his wife have moved on.
