Court can weather suggestion accused spends ‘rest of his goddamned life in jail’: Eby

By Canadian Press on May 7, 2025.

British Columbia Premier David Eby says he is confident the independence of the court won’t be influenced by his feelings that the man accused of killing 11 people at a Filipino festival should “spend the rest of his goddamned life in jail.”

The B.C. branch of the Canadian Bar Association has criticized Eby for comments he made last week in the legislature about the man accused of ramming his vehicle through crowds at the Lapu Lapu Day festival on April 26.

Branch president Lee Nevens says in a letter to Eby that the group is “deeply concerned” that the premier is expressing opinions on legal outcomes prior to a fair trial.

The letter says that by ignoring the presumption of innocence and the requirement of due process Eby gives permission for others to do the same and undermines the independence of the judiciary.

Eby says he has already apologized in the legislature for his “intemperate language.”

The premier told the legislature that the accused did a “despicable” and “most hateful thing” and it’s his opinion that he’s a murderer.

Eby says he feels close to the Filipino community and knows people who were at the festival at the time of the attack.

“I think that I have a stronger level of confidence in the independence of the judiciary and their ability to withstand my own feelings about what should happen to this individual and I’ll leave it at that,” he said.

The suspect in the case, 30-year-old Adam Kai-Ji Lo, is facing eight charges of second-degree murder, and police have said more are expected.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May, 7, 2025.

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press