The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear an appeal from the Nova Scotia Crown regarding a court ruling that quashed the fraud conviction of a former children’s hospital CEO.
As is customary, the court did not explain its decision to deny leave to appeal the case against Tracy Kitch, former chief executive of the IWK Health Centre, in Halifax.
Kitch was sentenced to five months in jail in August 2022 for allegedly using her corporate credit card to pay for $47,000 in personal expenses, and was released on bail pending her appeal.
In March, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal called for a new trial for Kitch.
Nova Scotia’s top court said the trial judge failed to adequately explain the reasons behind his decision to convict Kitch in February 2022.
The three-member panel said the trial judge’s decision may have been based on Kitch’s procedural or ethical breaches, which didn’t “translate directly to a conviction for fraud or fraud by a public officer.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 16, 2023.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
