Letters to the Editor Lac challenges appeal report.

On Nov 24, in an article published about Lac’s appeal, one of your reporters, Jim Borland, included in his report a reference to a Buffalo-based criminologist taking notes about judges hearing the case. The implication from the article was that Lac had retained such a person for the appeal for the purpose of analyzing the interplay between the judges and the lawyers. Hiring anyone for the purpose of doing an analysis of the kind described was never even contemplated.

If this reporter had been sufficiently diligent he could have confirmed the fact with the writer at the very time that he was talking with the individual in question, but he did not. This report has caused us some embarrassment. This kind of reporting is completely unacceptable and unprofessional and has necessitated that we now explain to the Court of Appeal that we had not engaged anyone for this purpose.

I raised this issue with your reporter immediately following the publication of the article but nothing has occurred.

I despair of ever seeing The Northern Miner publish an article which is properly researched or balanced. Ian T. H. Hamilton Senior vice-president and general counsel Lac Minerals