The Supreme Court of Canada has rejected former media baron Conrad Black’s bid to appear in person before the Order of Canada advisory council to make an appeal as to why he should keep his award.
The Supreme Court of Canada has rejected former media baron Conrad Black’s bid to appear in person before the Order of Canada advisory council to make an appeal as to why he should keep his award.
Black received the honour in 1990, but was later found guilty of fraud and obstructing justice in a U.S. court and served time in a Florida prison for his crime. As a result, Black received a letter from the Order of Canada, saying his award was up for review, and that he could voluntarily turn it in.
Black did not turn in his award. Instead, he argued that he should be able to make an oral appeal before the council, rather than appealing through the normal written process.
In the decision, Judge Yves de Montigny writes: “Black has failed to demonstrate that an oral hearing is necessary to ensure that his arguments are dealt with fairly or that written submissions do not and cannot provide him a reasonable opportunity to participate effectively in the process leading to the Council’s recommendation to the Governor General.”
Also this week, Black made headlines when he appeared in a BBC interview, where he called British host Jeremy Paxman a “priggish, gullible, British fool” and commended himself for not smashing Paxman’s face in.