'He doesn't think he's guilty and he wants to have a trial.'

The accused in a triple murder that rocked Cambridge Bay this past January wants Toronto lawyer Calvin Martin, an expert in self-defence and gun control cases, to represent him.

But the Nunavut Legal Services Board says Christopher Bishop has to pick from a list of lawyers in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

"They say there are lawyers in Iqaluit who are prepared to defend him, therefore they will not fund a lawyer out[side] of Nuna­vut," Martin said in a telephone interview.

Martin flew to Iqaluit in July to meet the accused and said he thinks Bishop can claim he was defending himself.

Bishop is accused of killing Kevin Komaksiut, 21, and Keith Atatahak, 28, both of Cambridge Bay, and Dean Cost, 29, of Edmonton. Two other people were shot and wounded in the incident, which stunned Cambridge Bay.

Colleen Harrington, executive director of the Nunavut Legal Services Board, which oversees legal aid in the territory, said the board is simply following the rules of the Legal Services Act.

The act says anyone charged with an offense for which the maximum penalty is life in prison may choose any lawyer in Nunavut or the NWT who's willing to take his case.

Harrington said the board has never seen a situation where an accused can't find a willing lawyer within the two territories "and as far as we're concerned we're not dealing with something like that right now."

"He [Bishop] is expressing an opinion about local counsel, but we still have to comply with our legislation."

Bishop appeared Dec. 4 on three charges of first-degree murder and two attempted murder charges.

Bishop spoke for himself at that hearing, telling judge Earl Johnson that Martin is applying to become a member of the Nunavut bar association. Martin would first receive what's called a restricted appearance certificate, which would allow him to represent Bishop only.

"He [Martin] remains ready, willing and able to represent me," Bishop told Johnson.

Johnson set Bishop's next court appearance for early January and said a preliminary hearing would likely take place sometime next fall.

Martin said Bishop feels Nunavut-based lawyers want him to plead guilty to lesser second-degree murder charges.

"He doesn't want to plead guilty. He doesn't think he's guilty and he wants to have a trial," Martin said.

A request to interview Bishop at Baffin Correctional Centre was not approved by deputy justice minister Markus Webber by press-time.

Martin also said Nuna­vut's public defenders may not have enough time to properly defend Bishop. He estimated a proper defence would amount to five weeks of full-time work.

"Although he's had legal representation, they never interviewed him and he just sat in jail," Martin said in a telephone interview.

"If no lawyer is appointed to defend him, he gets to defend himself, which I don't think would work out too well," Martin said.