My friend and colleague makes a good point. Any Crown or Judge will tell you that historical cases are the most difficult to prove and usually result in an acquittal. Evidence is either gone or deteriorated to the point of being unreliable. The threshold for laying a charge is so low – as low as a person saying “40 years ago he did this or that….” that the ability to make false accusations and use the justice system as a weapon is very high. We DO need to consider a statute of limitations for all but the most serious criminal charges.
Toronto criminal lawyer Aaron Harnett says it’s time for Canada to have an open discussion about whether this country needs to adopt a statute of limitations for criminal offences.
Source: A need for a statute of limitations in criminal law?