Are BC Liberals Carrying Out One Of Their Hidden Ethnic Vote Getting Strategies From Their Scandalous Manifesto?
VICTORIA – Amritdhari Khalsa Sikhs will soon be able to wear a Kirpan, a small stylized sword, while visiting courthouse public areas following a security assessment by B.C. sheriffs.
Some political observers are saying this could be one of their hidden “hand-outs” that they had sought to unveil in their scandalous ethnic vote getting manifesto.
Although Sikh organizations had been asking the government to change the policy as it has already been changed or announced in Ontario and Alberta but the timing, on the eve of the start of the provincial election next Monday, does raise questions.
But this like the Times of India Awards will mostly backfire or at least won’t have any impact on the voters
The World Sikh Organization of Canada has worked with the British Columbia Ministry of Justice as well as the BC Sheriff Service to develop accommodation guidelines for the kirpan in BC courthouses. The BC courthouse accommodation follows a similar accommodation procedure that was announced last year for Toronto courthouses and earlier this year for Alberta courthouses
Last month, WSO’s general legal counsel Palbinder Kaur Shergill and Executive Director Sukhvinder Kaur Vinning delivered a training seminar on the kirpan for BC Sheriffs. A training video has been developed in partnership with the Justice Institute of British Columbia.
WSO President Prem Singh Vinning said, “The accommodation of the kirpan in BC courthouses is the result of a proactive dialogue and not the result of litigation. It flowed from open and productive discussions with the BC Ministry of Justice. We are pleased that more and more jurisdictions are adopting these kirpan guidelines, and that we also are able to offer the training resources necessary for a smooth roll out.”
WSO general legal counsel Palbinder Kaur Shergill said, “In order for members of the Sikh community to access courthouses to perform their civic duty and engage with the legal system, it is essential for the kirpan to be accommodated. We are confident that the BC courthouse guidelines for the kirpan balance both security and the freedom of religion rights of the Sikh community.”
British Columbia is making the policy change effective on Friday, April 12 in keeping with other jurisdictions, as well as in response to human rights and Supreme Court of Canada decisions. Kirpan accommodation policies are already in effect in the Parliament of Canada buildings, the provincial court of Alberta, and in Toronto courthouses.
Any person wishing to enter a B.C. courthouse with a Kirpan must inform the sheriff that they are wearing one and identify themselves as an Amritdhari Sikh. There are size restrictions in place for Kirpans allowed in the courtrooms. The Kesh and the Kara must also be available for proof of the person’s Khalsa Sikh status, and government-issued photo identification may also be requested.
In addition to physical evidence and identification, the sheriff will assess potential risk factors by asking questions such as the reason for the visit, the type of court proceeding they wish to attend, and the person’s relation to the case. Sheriffs maintain the discretion to refuse or admit a Kirpan into the courthouse on a case-by-case basis.
The Kirpan symbolizes spiritual wisdom and the duty to stand against injustice. The Khalsa (Amritdhari) Sikh code of conduct requires the Kirpan to be worn at all times with four other articles of faith. The other articles of faith are the Kesh (unshorn hair covered with a turban), Kanga (wooden comb), Kara (iron bracelet), and Kachhera (cotton breeches).
