Art ownership down to semantics at Beaverbrook hearing
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 | 10:24 AM AT
CBC News
Lawyers for the Beaverbrook Art Gallery debated the meaning of "permanent collection" with Lord Beaverbrook's grandson Tuesday, during a hearing into who owns art worth $100 million.
Sir Maxwell Aitken, who administers the foundation that doles out his grandfather's fortune and is claiming ownership of the art currently housed at the Fredericton gallery, wrapped up two days of testimony on Tuesday.
Gallery lawyer Larry Lowenstein pointed to several documents in which the 133 paintings in dispute were mentioned as part of the "permanent collection" of the gallery.
He suggested that supported the argument that the paintings had not been lent to the gallery, but were outright gifts from Lord Beaverbrook.
Aitken said the words aren't proof of anything. "It's an expression," he said.
Later, lawyers for his foundation produced minutes from a 2002 board meeting that provided a definition of "permanent collection" for insurance purposes.
They had Aitken read the definition, which included semi-permanent holdings owned by, or on extended loan to, the gallery.
Both sides retract insults
Tuesday's testimony also included some oddities, including a mea culpa from each side.
The gallery's lawyers disassociated themselves from former gallery curator Stuart Smith, who in 2004 called Lord Beaverbrook a "loathsome little man."
Maxwell Aitken said it was regrettable that his cousin Tim Aitken once referred to the gallery's board as a "bunch of hacks."
Gallery director Bernard Riordon is expected to testify on behalf of the gallery on Wednesday.
Share Tools
Latest New Brunswick News Headlines
- Cataractes advance to Memorial Cup final by beating Sea Dogs
- Yannick Veilleux broke a tie at 13:14 of the third period as the host Shawinigan Cataractes upset the defending champion Saint John Sea Dogs 7-4 in the semifinal of the Mastercard Memorial Cup on Friday night. more »
- 4 arrests in Elsipogtog drug trafficking case
- Four people are facing charges in connection with a two-month long investigation into prescription drug trafficking on Elsipogtog First Nation. more »
- David Alward worried about EI changes
- Premier David Alward says he's worried proposed changes to employment insurance will hurt seasonal industries in the province, such as fishing, forestry and tourism. more »
- Pharmacists get generic drug pricing 'transition period'
- New Brunswick pharmacists will be allowed a 10-day transition period to help them adjust to the province's new generic drug pricing policy, Health Minister Madeleine Dube announced Friday. more »
Top News Headlines
- Everest team unable to bring down Toronto woman's body
- Bad weather has hampered the recovery team that is attempting to bring down the body of a Toronto woman who died trying to climb Mt. Everest. more »
- Attack on Syrian villages deadliest yet, activists say
- More than 90 people have been killed by regime forces in a district of central Syria, with the head of the UN team in the country confirming more than 32 children and 60 adults were killed the attack. more »
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges
- The estranged partner of a young mother who was stabbed to death along with her parents at their home in Aylmer, Que., has been charged with first-degree murder Friday. more »
- The risks and responsibilities of taking on Mt. Everest
- The deaths of six climbers last weekend on Mt. Everest, with more summits underway this weekend, fuels the debate about the risks and responsibilities of high altitude climbing. more »
- 4 arrests in Elsipogtog drug trafficking case
- David Alward worried about EI changes
- Woman robs store in Tracadie-Sheila
- Loose dog prevents mail delivery to area residents
- Pension snafu may erode public trust, says Norton
- Main Street reopened to traffic
- Pharmacists get generic drug pricing 'transition period'
- Moncton adds female firefighter to its ranks
- Bathurst teen charged with attempted murder
