Judge aims for 2027 start for 1986 Iqaluit murder trial

A Nunavut Judge is looking to schedule a 2027 trial date for the man accused of killing an Iqaluit teen in 1986.

Jopey Atsiqtaq — charged with second-degree murder in the death of Mary Ann Birmingham — was due to appear in court in Iqaluit Monday morning for a hearing.

He was not at the appearance, but his lawyer Keir O’Flaherty attended. Atsiqtaq is currently in remand at the Aaqqigiarvik Correctional Healing Facility in Iqaluit.

During discussions between O’Flaherty and Crown prosecutor Stephanie Boydell, Justice Faiyaz Alibhai spoke of the scheduling for the trial.

“I want to set a trial date for early 2027,” Alibhai said, noting that “2026 is taken.”

O’Flaherty called the case “a very complex matter.”

He said a trial could take up to two months.

Alibhai set Dec. 2 as Atsiqtaq’s next court appearance date.

Atsiqtaq has been in custody since September 2024, when he was arrested and charged with Birmingham’s murder. Earlier this year, he was denied bail.

This is the second time Atsiqtaq is facing a murder charge in relation to Birmingham’s death. A previous case, which went to court in the late 1980s, was dismissed following a preliminary inquiry.

Atsiqtaq was convicted of two other murders that occurred in Iqaluit in 1986. He was sentenced to life in prison for those killings, but was granted day parole in June 2024 before he was re-arrested three months later.