Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Fort Norman (Sep 23/02) - A Tulita man is asking his community's land corporation to pay for his legal dispute with it.

Edward MacCauley has been battling with the Tulita Land and Financial Corp. since last October, when community members were allowed to cast ballots for their children in a vote for the corporation's executive and board of directors.

MacCauley, who served as acting president until October, said a decision made in September 2001 prevented children under 18 from voting.

MacCauley lost his office in that vote.

If MacCauley wins the court challenge, there is a possibility that decisions made by the current executive could be legally contested.

Gordon Yakeleya, the current president, said the September decision was not in effect at the time of the vote since it needed to be approved by the Minister of Industry.

Faced with mounting costs in his year-long fight, MacCauley plans to ask for the land corporation to fund his legal battle at its fall annual general meeting. A date has not been set for that meeting.

"The costs of litigation are quite significant. He's determining how he's able to continue because the matter is not settled and he definitely wants to pursue this," said lawyer Garth Wallbridge, who represented MacCauley earlier this year.

Yakeleya said he didn't think the corporation should pay MacCauley's costs.

"If you're going to do it for one you've got to do it for everybody," he said.

MacCauley could not be reached for comment.