THE ROLE OF PROSECUTOR

“The role of prosecutor excludes any notion of winning or losing; his function is matter of public duty than which in civil life there can be none charged with greater personal responsibility.” R. v. Boucher 1954 SCJ No. 54, Supreme Court of Canada.

SHOULD THERE BE SPECIAL RULES FOR SENTENCING BLACK OFFENDERS LIKE THERE IS FOR INDIGENOUS OFFENDERS? – Social change is always controversial however in a country with a fundamental principle that no-one is above the law and that the law applies equally to all, should there be special rules for disadvantaged minorities? We know what’s next. “What about” refugee groups, LGBTTQQIAAP communities and every other identifiable historically disadvantaged groups?

‘When it comes to black people, the sentencing seems to be consistently void of any consideration of that additional source of disadvantage that they face’

Source: Ontario case could set special rules for sentencing black offenders, similar to Gladue for Indigenous people

THC AND DRIVING – The government was advised and knew this law defied logic, ignored science and fact, and was unconstitutional but they enacted it in spite of this in a knee jerk response to criticism of the legalization of marijuana. This law has to go.

Lead author of five-year study says Canada laws penalizing drivers with less than five nanograms/ml of THC in their blood may be too strict.

Source: Low THC levels not linked to car crashes: UBC study

Bail hearings will no longer be covered by Legal Aid Ontario – TWO TIER JUSTICE – Just as the Supreme Court of Canada stressed the need for the efficient and effective conduct of bail hearings. Ford is removing an option. No longer will you be able to have your own lawyer on a Legal Aid Certificate represent you at a bail hearing. Either you hire a lawyer privately or use duty counsel.

Legal Aid Ontario, which provides services to those who cannot afford to pay for a lawyer, is facing a 30 per cent cut in funding by the Ontario government.

Source: Bail hearings will no longer be covered by Legal Aid Ontario