Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (Apr 26/99) - When 55-year old convicted sex offender Edward Horne goes to court to answer to a total of 34 new sex-related charges, he will not be represented by a pair of Iqaluit lawyers as had previously been planned.

Appearing before Justice Beverly Browne in Nunavut's Court of Justice last Tuesday morning, Sue Cooper told the court that after reviewing all of the disclosure, she and co-counsel Michael Chandler realized they were unable to represent Horne.

"After receiving the disclosure and having a closer look at it, we determined that our firm is in conflict and unable to act," said Cooper.

She said that Jim Brydon of the Yellowknife legal firm Denroche Brydon had since agreed to take the case.

In order to give him the opportunity to fully review the disclosure and meet with his client, Justice Browne then postponed Horne's show cause hearing until May 25.

With that date a month away, it is likely that Horne will be moved to the Yellowknife Correctional Centre in order to provide him with more appropriate and safe accommodations.

He was originally incarcerated at the Baffin Correctional Centre following his arrest at the Toronto International Airport on March 30, but was moved due to concerns the warden had about Horne's safety at the facility.

The former teacher was then moved to RCMP cells and has remained there for the last three weeks. If he is sent to Yellowknife, it will also give him the opportunity to be closer to his lawyer.

Horne, who was previously convicted and served a federal term of incarceration in the mid-1980s for other sex crimes, was living in Mexico City for the last four years. Police were able to arrest him upon his return to Canada following a tip they received.

The 34 new charges involve victims from several different Nunavut communities, some of which date back to the 1970s.