Spence Bay (Nov 29/04) - The Crown filed an appeal after the October acquittal of three Taloyaok hunters charged with hunting without a licence or tag.

In July, Justice Robert Kilpatrick ruled against the inclusion of confessions made by the hunters and three narwhal tusks.

He said Kookiak Peetooloot, Saul Piallaq and David Tucktoo's charter rights were violated during the investigation into the case.

The Crown's appeal says Kilpatrick made a mistake in excluding the evidence.

"It doesn't surprise me that they're doing it," said the hunters' defence attorney John Wonnacott from Cambridge Bay. "But as I said during my submissions in court, these were three men hunting for food."

Six other men from Taloyoak are scheduled to stand trial on similar charges in January.

Aside from the acquittal appeal, the Crown has filed a separate motion to keep the tags off of the narwhal tusks.

That issue will be argued in Iqaluit's courthouse on Dec. 8.