The ReeveLaw Blog

“Crown counsel represent the public’s interest and not that of a victim or complainant. It cannot be over-emphasized that the purpose of a criminal prosecution is not to obtain a conviction. The repudiation of a plea agreement is a rare and exceptional event.”

“True, some of these growing disparities are largely rooted in the previous Harper government’s failed “tough on crime” policies. But that doesn’t let the Trudeau Liberals off the hook for failing to halt the spreading stain of shame by reversing these policies. It is well known that mandatory minimum sentences disproportionately impact racialized groups. The federal government has promised for years to do away with these harmful, one-size-fits-all sentences.”

Think about it. The Province owns and administers the court buildings. The Province pays the Judges. The Province pays the Crown Attorneys. The Province funds Legal Aid Ontario. The Province has a huge backlog of criminal cases. A Judge does not have the power to compel the Crown to withdraw any charge, so the Province is prepared to pay a lawyer to help you plead guilty, regardless of financial eligibility, but not for your trial.

The judicial system is using Judically-Led Intensive Case Managed Courts to deal with the huge pandemic backlog. What’s going to give?

“The law allows people living in violent or abusive relationships to fill out an online application asking police to share any violent criminal history of their domestic partners.”