Inquiry to proceed

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Ironically, two decisions concerning the fate of white supremacist Carney Nerland were both made on the second anniversary of Nerland's shooting of Cree trapper Leo LaChance.

Nerland, currently serving a four-year sentence for manslaughter in Manitoba's Stony Mountain prison, was ordered returned to Saskatchewan to testify at the Hughes Inquiry, which is investigating the justice system's handling of the LaChance murder.

Later that same day, Nerland's bid to quash the inquiry was rejected by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, within only a few hours of its submission.

Nerland's lawyer, Brian Beresh of Edmonton, maintained the Saskatchewan government has no authority to hold an inquiry that examines a criminal case - a matter

of federal jurisdiction under the constitution.

The application was also based on Nerland's right to security, said Beresh. His client has received death threats since the public hearing began last year. Nerland is in protected custody in the Manitoba penitentiary.

Meanwhile, Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench Justice Vern Simonsen granted

a motion under the Interprovincial Subpoena Act, compelling Nerland to testify at the inquiry.

The only potential holdup to the inquiry now, and Nerland's last recourse to avoid testifying, is an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The mandate of the inquiry, headed by former justice Ted Hughes, is to examine police and the Crown's handling of the case and to determine whether there are organized white supremacist groups active in Saskatchewan. Nerland is the self-proclaimed head of the Jesus Christ Aryan Nations group in Saskatchewan.

The inquiry has heard from witnesses who attended the dying LaChance, who was shot through the door of Nerland's gun shop, and others who were present when he was shot. Friends who spoke to Nerland later that night and police who investigated the shooting and later changed Nerland with manslaughter have also testified at the inquiry.

Nerland himself is expected to be questions when the inquiry resumes March 15.

(With reports from Connie Sampson)