Elizabeth Bennett (judge)

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Justice Elizabeth Bennett of the Supreme Court of British Columbia heard two of the most politically-charged corruption trials in the province's history.^{[citation needed]}

In 2007, she began proceedings on the Basi-Virk Affair where the Minister of Finance's politically-appointed assistant was charged with the sale of benefits related to the province's sale of BC Rail, the publicly-owned railway. The scandal came to public attention when news media filmed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) conducting a search warrant inside the BC Legislature building. The trial is ongoing.

On August 29, 2002, she acquited former Premier Glen Clark of all criminal charges related to home renovations and other personal benefits received from a constituent, Dimitrios Pilarinos, who was applying for a casino license. The judge said Clark exercised poor judgement but ruled that "there is nothing in his conduct that crosses the line from an act of folly to behaviour calling for criminal sanctions."^[1] The ruling came five years and a day after her appointment to the Supreme Court on August 28, 1997. The "Casinogate" scandal came to public attention when news media filmed the RCMP conducting a search warrant inside the private home of the then-Premier.

Justice Bennett also co-authored the 2006 revisions for a guide for judges on giving instructions to the jury, the Canadian Criminal Jury Instructions (CRIMJI) — Fourth Edition ISBN 1-55258-456-9.

She was educated at Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia Law School. She served with the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves, 6th Field Engineer Squardron. She was appointed to the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada on June 23, 1999.^[2]