Criminal Defence Law Blog
“In a 78-page decision, Justice Michael Tulloch (of the Ontario Court of Appeal) said the racial context of the crime is a factor in this case. The Crown did not prove that this was a racially motivated crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Nevertheless, the racial context within which this offence took place was a relevant consideration. The current moment of reckoning with respect to systemic racism in Canada is long overdue,” Tulloch wrote.
“The bill would remove cannabis as a Schedule I drug from the Controlled Substance Act, reclassifying it so it’s no longer viewed by the government as a highly addictive substance with no medical benefits. It would expunge the federal records of people who’ve been arrested for nonviolent marijuana-related charges, and allow states to tax and regulate weed. And it proposes to tax weed and reinvest that money in Black, Hispanic, and other communities who’ve been most harmed by the war on drugs and the fallout of disproportionately high incarceration rates for drug use.” This is what we should have done and can still do.
“Illinois lawmakers passed a bill to prohibit deception during youth interrogations in May, restricting cops from knowingly offering false statements about evidence or leniency. What’s more, the legislation also makes it so that confessions from kids using deceptive tactics will be presumed to be inadmissible in court.”
“Granting more discretionary powers to police and prosecutors — the same individuals routinely imposing overly strict bail conditions on accused persons and over-prosecuting minor level offences — was never going to be a solution to Canada’s bail problem.”
A return to recognizing the value of pardons to society. “A pardon helps remove the stigma of a criminal record so people can access housing, employment, volunteer opportunities, and education, which are key to safe and successful reintegration as productive members of society. This improves public safety through reduced re-offending and victimization.”
