The decision to stop the presses on the official daily record of debate in the Northwest Territories' legislative assembly may open the door to a lawsuit, political scientist Gurston Dacks says.

House Speaker Paul Delorey suspended publication of Hansard Wednesday, saying the assembly could not meet a court-imposed order to publish it in French as well as English.

'We don't think we are breaking any laws by not producing it.'—N.W.T. Speaker Paul Delorey

"We don't think we are breaking any laws by not producing it," Delorey told CBC News Thursday.

The first draft of the debate is still being printed and distributed while the house sits.

University of Alberta professor Dacks says the public has a right to have access to that written record.

"Someone might want to bring legal action against possibly the Speaker or the government of the Northwest Territories, asking the judge to require the assembly to resume publication of Hansard so that individual can know what was said and done in their name in the assembly," Dacks said.

Appeal pending

The government is appealing the court ruling on French-language services.

The appeal is in limbo while lawyers for the government and Fédération Franco-Ténoise negotiate which services should be provided in French.

Under the Northwest Territories Act, the government has five working days to have Hansard printed.