ManitobaDefence lawyers tasked with reviewing past cases involving a Winnipeg constable involved in corruption can access financial support through an arm’s length legal organization of the provincial government.Administration of justice ‘paramount,’ justice minister says after officer pleads guilty to string of offencesBryce Hoye · CBC News · Posted: Nov 10, 2025 5:12 PM EST | Last Updated: 13 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe speaks during question period at the Manitoba Legislature on Oct. 30. Wiebe says Legal Aid will be supporting defence lawyers financially in their review of cases involving Winnipeg police Const. Elston Bostock and his three co-accused. (Bryce Hoye/CBC) WARNING: This story contains graphic comments made about the body of a dead woman. Defence lawyers tasked with reviewing past cases involving a Winnipeg constable involved in corruption can access financial support through an arm’s length legal organization of the provincial government.A provincial spokesperson confirmed Monday that the Manitoba Prosecution Service sent out 2,300 letters to lawyers “in an abundance of caution” regarding cases involving Const. Elson Bostock and his three co-accused, though it isn’t clear how many may need reviewing.Attorneys who represented clients in those cases, and who received a letter from the Manitoba Prosecution Service asking them to review them, can apply for compensation from Legal Aid, the spokesperson said. Previously, Legal Aid had committed only to funding appeals, not the case review.”We don’t anticipate a huge number of cases coming forward, but of course we want to be thorough,” Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe told CBC News on Monday.”Through Legal Aid we’re supporting that work … the funding is there to ensure they’re able to support these reviews.” Winnipeg Police Service Const. Bostock pleaded guilty Friday in Manitoba Court of King’s Bench to attempting to obstruct justice, theft under $5,000 and offering an indignity to human remains.In October, the Manitoba Prosecution Service sent letters to multiple defence lawyers asking them to review old files involving Bostock and three other officers still facing charges. The 22-year-member of the service also faces federal drug charges.Const. Elston Bostock, who’s been with the Winnipeg Police Service for over 20 years, pleaded guilty last week to charges including offering an indignity to human remains, breach of trust, attempting to obstruct justice and theft under $5,000. (Submitted)An agreed statement of facts presented in court details an eight-year stretch of offences dating from 2016 to last year, when the WPS professional standards unit caught Bostock stealing from evidence in a staged vehicle break-in.A forensic audit of his phone revealed uncovered years of instances where he used his position as an officer to benefit himself or associates, including through ticket fixing. In 22 cases detailed in court documents, the WPS unit determined Bostock tried to have colleagues drop speeding, distracted driving and other tickets issued to some of his civilian contacts. Bostock was successful in a dozen of those instances of getting a peer not to file the ticket in exchange for items like gift cards and bottles of alcohol for the ticket-issuing officer, court documents say.He also took a photo of a dead topless woman at a crime scene and sent it to two WPS colleagues when he “had no lawful or legitimate purpose for doing so,” court documents say. He remarked to one colleagues that the woman had died of a fentanyl overdose and had the “best body on a dead body I ever saw.” The other, he sent the photo along with the message that it was the “first time I was horny over a dead body.” The unit also says it found photos of Bostock with people they claim are involved in illegal activity.Bostock on several occasions searched licence plates using internal WPS data systems and then relayed names and addresses to his non-police associates, court documents state.Incidents like those Bostock pleaded guilty to damage the public’s perception of police, according to a University of Manitoba criminologist. (Tyson Koschik/CBC)The WPS professional standards unit caught Bostock last year. They “planted a narrative” in a group chat that included associates he was running plates for which suggested one of them would be arrested soon and was being monitored. Bostock relayed that information to the person in question and others, court documents state.The unit also staged a scene in an “integrity test” by enlisted an undercover RCMP officer in 2024. Bostock and his colleague responded to a call of an attempted vehicle break-in where the RCMP officer claimed to snatch a bag off the perp before he took fled.Secret recording equipment in their cruiser revealed Bostock and his partner took money and other items from that bag, according to the agreed statement of facts.One defence lawyer told CBC News the letter he received last month from the Manitoba Prosecution Service included “80 or 100” cases that may need reviewing. Justice Minister Wiebe said that his department doesn’t “anticipate that this will be a huge drain on resources” but will be working with Legal Aid to respond to needs for support from defence lawyers involved in case review.”It is a complex set of considerations and I think that’s why it is important there be an opportunity for defense lawyers to bring those cases back as they see appropriate,” Wiebe said.”It’s about ensuring that people understand the administration of justice is paramount. We’re funding our side of the equation, so to speak.”With files from Ian Froese
Administration of justice ‘paramount’ after officer pleads guilty to string of offences: Justice minister
