N.L. prosecutors unable to speak French in murder case court hearings

Crown prosecutors in Newfoundland and Labrador were unable to conduct court proceedings in French during the first two appearances of Dave Faucher, a Quebec man accused of firstdegree murder in Happy ValleyGoose Bay. During hearings on Sept. 8 and again on Tuesday, Judge Wynne Anne Trahey had to translate into English so the prosecutors could follow the discussion. One prosecutor said he understood French but was not comfortable with legal French, while another said he could understand French but was not prepared to speak it in court. The case also faced interpreter problems. In one appearance, videoconference interpreters lost their connection, and in the next, no interpreter was available after a cancellation the night before. Faucher had elected to have the case proceed in his first official language. The justice department said a Frenchspeaking prosecutor has now been assigned for future appearances.