OUR BROKEN BAIL SYSTEM – When bail courts don’t follow the law

If you have ever been arrested and taken to bail court you know what this Justice of the Peace says is true. Since none of us know if we’re ever going to be arrested it would be a good idea to be aware of this situation. The presumption of innocence does not just apply at trial but also in determining if an accused person should be granted bail and upon what terms. We need to fix this.

Source: Julie Lauzon: When bail courts don’t follow the law

LEGALIZATION IS INEVITABLE – Money rules!

Profit driven, a US investment fund is poised to dominate the world market. “Britain will one day inevitably legalise cannabis. Our intention is to build a global company. This industry is worth $300 billion worldwide. There are not many growth industries starting from scratch worth that kind of money and in which no large companies are operating. One day we will have Marley Natural flagship stores around the world. One of them will be in London.” Money rules!

“Britain will one day inevitably legalise cannabis. Our intention is to build a global company. This industry is worth $300 billion worldwide. There are not many growth industries starting from scratch worth that kind of money and in which no large companies are operating. One day we will have Marley Natural flagship stores around the world. One of them will be in London.”

Source: Cannabis should be sold legally in shops, say Lib Dems – Telegraph

LEGAL LIMBO – Judges question simple marijuana possession cases

When the Prime Minister declares an activity to be legal the prosecution of that activity never serves the public interest. The courts are questioning why prosecutors proceed with these cases. As more and more people with medical exemptions are growing their own marijuana, if the government doesn’t soon seize control of regulating this as a legal industry they will lose the opportunity.

Source: Judges question simple marijuana possession cases as legality remains in limbo | National Post

RESTORING OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM AND SOCIETY FROM A DECADE OF HARPER FEAR MONGERING –

A decade of a ‘lock them up and throw away the keys’ approach has left Canada’s criminal justice system broken and public safety at risk. Between 2005 and 2015, the federal inmate population grew by 10 per cent, however, crime rates have fallen every year. The growth was caused by steady increases of admissions of indigenous people, visible minorities, the mentally ill, and women. We have eviscerated social programs, health care, and educational services in this country.

Source: Tories’ ‘tough-on-crime’ approach has broken Canada’s justice system, say experts |

SPECIAL TREATMENT IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

The Province will now provide complainants, but only those alleging a sexual assault, 4 hours of free legal advice. I wonder if that will encourage or discourage complainants from proceeding? I guess it depends on what type of lawyers the Province hires to give such advice.

‘It’s also a tacit acknowledgement that the system doesn’t work for survivors of sexual violence,’ one expert said of the effort to level the legal playing field

Source: In a Canadian first, survivors of sexual violence will get free legal advice in Ontario pilot program

IN THE TRENCHES: CUFFS AND SHACKLES IN COURT – CanLII – 2016 CanLII 7716 (NL PC)

Whether an in-custody accused appears in court in handcuffs, leg shackles or other restraints is up to the Judge to decide. “Every accused, whether in custody or not, has the right to appear in court free of any restraint. A blanket policy of presenting in-custody accused in leg shackles and handcuffs in court is illegal, may amount to a civil assault and give rise to an award of damages.”

Source: CanLII – 2016 CanLII 7716 (NL PC)

IN THE TRENCHES: THE VICTIM SURCHARGE – CanLII – 2016 ONCJ 108 (CanLII)

The “victim surcharge,” is a sum levied against persons for each offence they are sentenced for to raise money for victim services. It is mandatory. It is either $100, $200 or 30% of any fine imposed. Our lower court has once again found it unconstitutional because it “has an adverse impact on the mentally disabled because of the class characteristic that mentally disabled persons are disproportionately poor. It discriminates against the mentally disabled. It leaves many of them under ongoing, if not perpetual, undischarged criminal sanction.”

Source: CanLII – 2016 ONCJ 108 (CanLII)

TOTALLY PREDICTABLE -Legalizing Weed Has Done What 1 Trillion Dollars and a 40 Year War Couldn’t

We grow better quality weed than Mexico anyway. “The economics of the cannabis industry show us that with healthy competition in the market, prices drop, quality rises, violence diminishes, and peaceful transactions increase.” Note an emphasis on HEALTHY COMPETITION. “The Colorado model has proven that legalization reduces crime rates, cuts prices, pushes unfavorable competition out of the market, provides cleaner products with heightened transparency, and increases the standard of living for society as a whole.”

A massive problem created by the drug war is now being solved by legalizing weed.

Source: Legalizing Weed Has Done What 1 Trillion Dollars and a 40 Year War Couldn’t

A LEGAL GREY AREA

While our ex-chief of police is taking so long trying to figure out how to do this “right”, in the hiatus between declaration and implementation of legality it is being sorted out in fact. Municipalities are quite capable of licensing, regulating and taxing the distribution of marijuana.  All we need the federal government to do is remove the marijuana schedule from the CDSA.

A new medical marijuana dispensary has cropped up in Lower Lonsdale, causing concern for some parents whose kids attend martial arts classes a few doors down.

Source: Lower Lonsdale pot shops raise parents’ concerns