Kennedy Stewart, who announced last week he will be running for mayor of Vancouver, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of criminal contempt of court arising from his involvement in protests against Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline project.

Under an agreement reached with special prosecutor Michael Klein, the Burnaby South NDP MP was fined $500 for violating a B.C. Supreme Court injunction at the company’s Burnaby work site on March 23.

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Klein told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Affleck that he had recommended the fine due to the early resolution to the case and the fact that the Stewart matter had not taken up significant court resources.

Richard Fowler, a lawyer for Stewart, said that the early guilty plea was significant and was clearly an acknowledgement that what his client did was wrong in blocking the gates at the site along with other protesters.

“His conduct throughout has been respectful toward the police. He’s also been respectful toward the court but for his conduct in breaching the injunction.”

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Fowler said that civil disobedience of the kind Stewart had engaged in was “ironically” in many ways an accepted part of a democracy.

“It’s possible to have the utmost respect for the rule of law but still on occasion engage in an act of disobedience and accept one’s punishment for doing that,” said Fowler. “Mr. Stewart has accepted his responsibility for breaching the injunction. He was there in support of his constituents. It’s a complex role being a Member of Parliament when you have many competing obligations and responsibilities.”

The Vancouver lawyer said that the early plea, which came after a small number of other pipeline protesters had already entered guilty pleas to criminal contempt of court, may encourage others to accept responsibility for their actions.

The judge said that normally with an MP and given the defiance of a court order, he would be inclined to impose a higher fine. But he added that he was not going to depart from the joint submission on sentence of Klein and Fowler and ordered that the fine be paid by Friday.

Several of the dozen or so protesters who earlier pleaded guilty to criminal contempt have also been fined $500. Others who demonstrated that they can’t afford the fine have been ordered to do 25 hours of community service.

About 180 people have so far been arrested at the site, with trials set to commence June 11.

Earlier on Monday, special prosecutor Greg DelBigio, who was appointed to handle the case of MP Elizabeth May, who has also been charged for her part in the protests, told the judge that he was proceeding with a criminal contempt of court prosecution against the federal Green Party leader.

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Alexander Ejsmont, a lawyer for May, said that he expected there would be substantive discussions with the special prosecutor prior to the next court appearance for May on May 28. May was arrested for allegedly violating the injunction on the same day as Stewart.

Outside court, Stewart said he had been standing up for B.C.’s west coast and the economy since he was elected to parliament in 2011.

“I take full responsibility for my actions, but will continue to push to stop this pipeline, which is a very bad project,” said Stewart, who announced last Thursday that he was running for mayor of Vancouver and will step aside as an MP.

“Most of the people in my community, most of the people in the Lower Mainland, would agree to that. Again, I accept full responsibility and I will abide by the judge’s ruling.”

Asked whether the contempt conviction puts him in a conflict as a politician, Stewart said that it was not a criminal charge under the Criminal Code that he had pleaded guilty to.

“It’s not under the Criminal Code and that’s really important for people to know. There will be no criminal record. It’s not an indictable offence, so it doesn’t put me in a conflict.”

Stewart said that he understands that his name will not show up in court records.

“That way it doesn’t go into the system for crossing borders or anything like that. I think the judge actually reiterated that today, that it is not a Criminal Code offence. I always wanted to show the deepest respect I could for the court, and I thought this was the best way to do it.”

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