N.L. tables law to seize property tied to crime

Newfoundland and Labrador has introduced civil forfeiture legislation that would let the province seize property linked to criminal activity, even when no one is convicted. Justice Minister Helen Conway Ottenheimer said the goal is to ensure crime does not pay. The province and Prince Edward Island are the only two without such a law. Cases would be heard in civil court, where the government must prove its claim on a balance of probabilities rather than beyond a reasonable doubt. Under current rules, $435,000 in cash found during a murder investigation into Kurt Churchill was eventually returned to him in 2025.