B.C. judge approves jury trial in Queen of the North wrongful death lawsuit

Lawyers for the ferry service tried to convince a B.C. Supreme Court judge that such a trial would be too complicated for a jury to understand, and they also wanted the court to rule that the common issue of liability in six separate lawsuits should be heard together.

Shirley Rosette and Gerald Foisey were lost at sea when the ferry sank in B.C.'s Inside Passage in March 2006.

Their families and other passengers on the ship have launched several separate legal actions for compensation.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Brian Joyce rejected both arguments from the ferry service, ruling the case wasn't too long or complicated for a jury and the cases were different enough to be heard separately.

The date for the jury trial in the wrongful death lawsuit has been set for Feb. 2, 2009.