PETER FIRESTONE:

I was called to the bar of British Columbia on May 10, 1983 (born April 27, 1957). I grew up in Ottawa and I describe that Ottawa is a good place to be from. “I am from Ottawa” but my chosen home is the West Coast of Canada. I love it here and I am very proud to be a British Columbian.

I spent my first two years at Ottawa U studying English but I could not really spell so I decided the legal profession with its fine oral traditions would be perfect for me. The day I decided to leave Ottawa, it was minus 70 degrees Celsius below zero and too cold to walk the four blocks to the Ottawa U lecture hall. I completed my application for third year UBC and by September 1977 I was living in Vancouver and attending UBC.

I graduated UBC in 1979 with a B.A in Arts (political science major) and I graduated from the University of Victoria Law school in May 1982. I really enjoyed reading law and I was very lucky to be in the presence of the founders of that law school.

I stumbled into articles with a Victoria law firm known as Owen-Flood, Turnham, Green and Higinbotham . It was a great firm to learn in and very high powered. They did the labour work for the local police and fire unions. The late Dermod Owen-Flood who I worked with for 4 years was my mentor and guiding light.

Before going out on my own in July of 1986 I was exposed to very interesting cases right from the outset and I saw how competent lawyers got the job done. I consider myself well trained by virtue of the lawyers I worked with and the diverse type of litigation files I was exposed to; from murder to complicated labour arbitration’s both interest and grievances, and civil law suits and some very interesting defamation cases.

About half way through my articles I left with Owen-Flood and his partner Chris Considine and worked with them for about three and a half years. During my first three years as a lawyer I had an ICBC billing number and learned how to properly conduct a personal injury action. I learned about the importance of systems to maintain a busy practice.

During my first 4 years of practice I did a a number of murder cases with members of my firm. I successfully defended my first murder case (second degree murder) alone and without a leader before my second year of call (beginners luck). I have done a lot of Jury work as defence counsel.

Throughout my career I have defended serious criminal cases including murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault, impaired causing death, dangerous diving causing death, criminal negligence and all types of sex assaults. I am old enough to have defended a rape charge even though that offence was abolished in about 1982. I know what it is like to defend a case before the Charter became the law in April 1982.

I am familiar with both substantive law and the rules of evidence. There are no criminal cases I will not take but I do take the ethics of criminal defence seriously and I will only act within the acceptable boundaries set out for the defense of crime. I absolutely believe in the principles of the presumption of innocence and the requirement of proof beyond a reasonable doubt and I certainly practice what I preach. I oppose anything that will erode these fundamental principles in Canada.

I have practiced at all levels of court in this country: Provincial, Supreme and Court of Appeal of British Columbia and have been fortunate enough to make two trips to the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa with my partner Catherine Tyhurst.

I have argued all manner of criminal cases from shoplifting to murder and civil cases in the Small Claims court, and criminal cases in Provincial Court criminal, and civil and criminal cases in the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the Court of Appeal for British Columbia I have appeared in the traffic court as well. I have been both counsel and a Plaintiff in defamation cases.

I am a proud advocate of the law including due process and fairness in all proceedings and a strong believer in the presumption of innocence.