Ex-priest’s appeal to reach Nunavut court this fall

Ex-priest Eric Dejaeger is escorted to the Nunavut Court of Justice around the start of his 2013-14 trial. (FILE PHOTO).

Nunavut’s senior judge, Justice Neil Sharkey, told lawyers Wednesday that he’s “very anxious” about seeing an upcoming appeal argument from convicted sex criminal Eric Dejaeger heard by September, as lawyers continue to pore over court records from the trial of one of Nunavut’s most infamous sex offenders.

Dejaeger, 70, was convicted of 24 offences following a 2014 trial, most of them sex crimes against Inuit children in the 1970s and 1980s, when he worked as an Oblate missionary in Igloolik.

Dejaeger pleaded guilty to another eight sex offences prior to his trial, and pleaded guilty to four additional sex crimes committed against Edmonton-area children in the 1970s in 2015.

Which of those convictions Dejaeger is appealing remains unclear, since the court only appointed lawyers for him following a March hearing last year when he successfully challenged a decision that denied him legal aid.

Speaking by phone, lawyer Yoni Rahamim told Sharkey at the Nunavut Court of Justice March 14 that summarizing Dejaeger’s appeal factum is a “massive” undertaking, given the large quantity of court records and the historic nature of his offences.

The official appeal material hasn’t been submitted yet, but Rahamim confirmed that Dejaeger is challenging evidence entered by 24 complainants during his trial, whereas evidence from another 25 complainants “is not an issue,” he said.

But that may not mean that he is appealing 24 convictions.

Dejaeger still has about 10 years left to serve in the 19-year prison sentence imposed by Justice Robert Kilpatrick in 2015.

Sharkey denied a request by Rahamim to submit his appeal factums in a format larger than what is regularly permitted by the court.

Dejaeger’s lawyers will have until the end of April to re-compile those factums, while Crown lawyers will have until the end of July to submit their response.

Dejaeger’s appeal is scheduled to be heard by a panel of judges on September 25.