Conduct by a number of Interfor employees has resulted in the BC Supreme Court setting aside an injunction previously granted to Interfor. The injunction had restrained protesters at a protest campsite from obstructing access to an Interfor work site and interfering with its road building operations. Despite the injunction, protesters had continued to interfere with Interfor operations. A number of Interfor’s employees in the area converged on the camp and destroyed it, hurting some of the protesters. The court held Interfor responsible for the actions of ints employees and therefore found that it had come to court without clean hands:
“It is no answer to say that the actions of employees are not the actions of the plaintiffs. In these circumstances the plaintiffs must take full responsibility for the actions of their employees and staff. Since these events, Interfor has taken steps to disavow and condemn these actions. It is not sufficient to acknowledge and condemn these errors in judgment and not be held accountable for them on this application to consider whether the interlocutory injunction should continue. The court must denounce vigilante actions, misrepresentations and lies in the strongest possible way in order to preserve the integrity of its own process.”
“The court does not take sides in a dispute of this nature. Interlocutory injunctions are granted to protect rights and to the extent possible, ensure no irreparable damage takes place. An injunction is not granted as a weapon to use against competing interests and it certainly does not give authority to anyone to undertake illegal vigilante measures.”