Richard Peck (lawyer)
Encyclopedia
Richard C.C. Peck, QC
(born 1948) is a British Columbia
lawyer
who has been counsel in many significant criminal cases at all judicial levels including the Supreme Court of Canada
and has been appointed by provincial governments to serve as a special prosecutor
.
He graduated from the University of British Columbia
Faculty of Law in 1974, was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 1975 and is also a member of the Yukon bar. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1987.
He is founding partner of the Vancouver
law firm Peck and Company. Practice Areas include: Criminal Law; Administrative Law; Regulatory Law; White Collar Crime; Extradition; Appellate Practice.
Peck served as a member of the Attorney General's Task Force on Public Legal Services in British Columbia in 1984 and as Special Counsel to B.C. Police Commission for Study and Report to the Attorney General on the Use of Video Equipment by Police Forces in British Columbia in 1986.
In 2001, Peck represented accused child pornographer John Robin Sharpe before the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Sharpe
. In 2005, he successfully represented accused Air India bombing
suspect Ajaib Singh Bagri.
On June 6, 2007, the province of British Columbia announced the appointment of Peck as a special prosecutor
to review the results of a police investigation into possible polygamous activity or other offences by members of the community of Bountiful, British Columbia
. On August 1, 2007, Peck concluded that there was not enough evidence to charge the group with sexual abuse
or exploitation charges as it has been extraordinarily difficult to find victims willing to testify and the defendants are likely to claim "religious freedom" as a defense.
In 2008 and 2009, Peck was retained by the City of Vancouver to review the city's policies and procedures relating to the handling of confidential information following a leak to media prior to the 2008 municipal election regarding a $100 million loan to the builder of the Olympic Village
In 2009, Peck represented lawyer Martin Wirick who was sentenced to seven years in prison for perpetrating what media described as the largest legal fraud in Canadian history.
In 2009, he was appointed special prosecutor by the Ontario Ministry of Attorney General in the case of former Attorney General Michael Bryant
who was being charged in the death of a bicyclist.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(born 1948) is a British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who has been counsel in many significant criminal cases at all judicial levels including the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
and has been appointed by provincial governments to serve as a special prosecutor
Special prosecutor
A special prosecutor generally is a lawyer from outside the government appointed by an attorney general or, in the United States, by Congress to investigate a government official for misconduct while in office. A reasoning for such an appointment is that the governmental branch or agency may have...
.
He graduated from the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
Faculty of Law in 1974, was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 1975 and is also a member of the Yukon bar. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1987.
He is founding partner of the Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
law firm Peck and Company. Practice Areas include: Criminal Law; Administrative Law; Regulatory Law; White Collar Crime; Extradition; Appellate Practice.
Peck served as a member of the Attorney General's Task Force on Public Legal Services in British Columbia in 1984 and as Special Counsel to B.C. Police Commission for Study and Report to the Attorney General on the Use of Video Equipment by Police Forces in British Columbia in 1986.
In 2001, Peck represented accused child pornographer John Robin Sharpe before the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Sharpe
R. v. Sharpe
R. v. Sharpe, [2001] 1 S.C.R. 45, 2001 SCC 2, is a Canadian civil rights decision of the Supreme Court of Canada. The Court upheld the child pornography provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada as a valid limitation of the right to freedom of expression under section 2 of the Canadian Charter of...
. In 2005, he successfully represented accused Air India bombing
Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montreal–London–Delhi route. On 23 June 1985, the airplane operating on the route a Boeing 747-237B named after Emperor Kanishka was blown up by a bomb at an altitude of , and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while in Irish airspace.A...
suspect Ajaib Singh Bagri.
On June 6, 2007, the province of British Columbia announced the appointment of Peck as a special prosecutor
Special prosecutor
A special prosecutor generally is a lawyer from outside the government appointed by an attorney general or, in the United States, by Congress to investigate a government official for misconduct while in office. A reasoning for such an appointment is that the governmental branch or agency may have...
to review the results of a police investigation into possible polygamous activity or other offences by members of the community of Bountiful, British Columbia
Bountiful, British Columbia
Bountiful is a settlement located in the Creston Valley of southeastern British Columbia, Canada, near Cranbrook and Creston. The closest community is Lister, British Columbia....
. On August 1, 2007, Peck concluded that there was not enough evidence to charge the group with sexual abuse
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
or exploitation charges as it has been extraordinarily difficult to find victims willing to testify and the defendants are likely to claim "religious freedom" as a defense.
In 2008 and 2009, Peck was retained by the City of Vancouver to review the city's policies and procedures relating to the handling of confidential information following a leak to media prior to the 2008 municipal election regarding a $100 million loan to the builder of the Olympic Village
In 2009, Peck represented lawyer Martin Wirick who was sentenced to seven years in prison for perpetrating what media described as the largest legal fraud in Canadian history.
In 2009, he was appointed special prosecutor by the Ontario Ministry of Attorney General in the case of former Attorney General Michael Bryant
Michael Bryant (politician)
Michael J. Bryant is former public administrator and former politician in Ontario, Canada. A Harvard-trained lawyer, he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the electoral district of St. Paul's for the Ontario Liberal Party from 1999 until 2009...
who was being charged in the death of a bicyclist.