Nova Scotia. Royal Commission on the Donald Marshall, Jr., Prosecution

The Royal Commission on the Donald Marshall, Jr., Prosecution was struck by Order in Council on 28 October 1986. Chief Justice T. Alexander Hickman (chair), Chief Justice Lawrence A. Poitras and the Hon. Gregory Thomas Evans, QC were appointed commissioners. The commission was mandated to inquire into, report on, and make recommendations respecting the death of William Sandford Seale on 28-29 May 1971; the prosecution of Donald Marshall, Jr., for the murder of Seale and his subsequent wrongful conviction and imprisonment. The commission discharged its mandate through a broad inquiry into the Nova Scotia justice system, including the latter's treatment of visible minorities and the role within the system of police and politicians. The commission held extensive public hearings in Sydney and Halifax in 1987-1988, accepting presentations from 114 witnesses and 176 exhibits. A consultative conference of invited experts was also held at the conclusion of the hearings. The commission completed its work in December 1989.