WHEN JUSTICE DAVID H. DOHERTY SPEAKS THE LEGAL PROFESSION LISTENS. When Justice David H. Doherty speaks about the integrity of Judicial appointments, Premier Doug Ford should listen. “It does a disservice to suggest that the qualification for appointment to the judiciary should include some manifestation of allegiance to, or even sympathy with, the agenda of those who are fixed with the responsibility of appointing judges,”
A SIMPLE RULE: DON’T VIDEOS OF SEXUAL ACTIVITY because “In 2015, Parliament amended Sect. 162 of the Criminal Code, making it an offence to record or distribute images or video of an intimate act without consent of every person who appears in the video.”
OH NO! While we’re still, years later, cleaning up the messes of Harper’s unconstitutional mandatory minimum sentences (MMS) and the delays that resulted in Judicial stays of serious criminal cases, Poilievre wants to take us down that same unconstitutional road with his rebranded mandatory minimum penalties (MMP).
HERE IS THE REAL STORY ABOUT OUT BROKEN BAIL SYSTEM – Do not believe Doug Ford’s fear mongering.
OUR BAIL SYSTEM IS BROKEN, BUT NOT IN THE WAY DOUG FORD WANTS YOU TO BELIEVE: 79% of the people held in our Provincial Jails are either possibly innocent or actually innocent.
Our Criminal Lawyers’ Association letter to Doug Ford regarding our concern for the independence of our Judiciary and it’s selection process.
February 26, 2024 VIA EMAIL: premier@ontario.ca The Honourable Doug Ford, M.P.P. Premier of Ontario Legislative Building, Queen’s Park Toronto, Ontario, M7A 1A1 The Criminal Lawyers’ Association represents more than 1800 criminal lawyers in the province of Ontario. Our membership regularly appears in the Ontario Court of Justice where the bulk of criminal law cases are heard in this province. The Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee (JAAC) had long been lauded as the gold standard in judicial appointments. The JAAC created significant independence in the appointment process of judges in our province. This committee historically focused on appointing judges for merit and not political allegiance. Your recent comments in the media confirmed your Government’s intentions to politicize the process. The Government’s interference with the judicial appointment process poses a substantial threat to the independence of Ontario’s judges. The loss of independence erodes public confidence in the judiciary. Your ill-conceived public comments about appointing “like-minded” judges will have the unintended effect of tarnishing the integrity of your future appointments. Judicial independence is a cornerstone of our constitutional democracy. We echo the concerns of other Ontario legal organizations and urge your Government to appoint qualified, principled, impartial judges of the highest caliber regardless of political affiliation. Judges must be free to make fair and impartial decisions – often difficult decisions – without concern for whether or not their rulings align with the Government of the day. Yours very truly, Boris Bytensky President, Criminal Lawyers’ Association CC: The Honourable Doug Downey, K.C., M.P.P., Attorney General of Ontario
