June 16, 2013
(Ed note: Father’s Day may be a good opportunity to celebrate fathers and sons, and to recall that inmates in our prisons and in conflict with the law are in fact often our fathers and sons. Harshness and violence toward them, whatever they have done, cries out against the highest capacity of our human nature itself. Let us use the occasion to celebrate the dignity of fathers and sons and to look forward to restoration of all our painful and broken relationships.)
Globe and Mail – Kirk Makin
Meet Beverley McLachlin, Canada’s longest-serving chief justice
At age 69 and determined to serve until mandatory retirement at age 75, the Chief Justice has become the longest serving in Canada’s history. She thinks that the way we have dealt with NCR has ‘served us well” and has an on-going concern for the socially disadvantaged in the legal system. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/meet-canadas-longest-serving-chief-justice/article12585502
Globe and Mail – Kirk Makin
Court overturns manslaughter conviction over lack of aboriginal jurors
The Ontario Court of Appeal has ordered a new trial with a more representative pool of potential jurors. Said Mr. Julian Falconer, the defense lawyer for the Aboriginal man: “The court found that the government’s efforts to create representative juries relied almost exclusively on a ‘junior bureaucrat’ who was given neither training nor supervision – and that the government ignored a ‘known and worsening problem, year after year,’ ” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/manslaughter-conviction-tossed-over-lack-of-aboriginals-on-ontario-juries/article12559123
RJ in Europe
Victims’ Voices Survey
Here is a link to a monkey survey asking for participants from all over Europe to respond to a survey of victims. This survey link is for UK residents who have been victims of crime and takes about 15 minutes to complete on line. http://www.rj4all.info/content/VictimsVoices
Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) – Natalie O’Brien
Children in immigration detention at all-time high
In spite of government assurances a year ago to close down the practice of children in immigration detention, almost 2,000 are held on Manus Island and Christmas Island. Advocates say that the detention of children represents both a failure in human rights and a government policy failure. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/children-in-immigration-detention-at-alltime-high-20130615-2ob73.html
Express (UK) – Danny Buckland
I’ve seen how our justice system is failing victims of mental illness, Jenny Bradbury
Defence attorney Jenny Bradbury is voicing a common concern these days that is supported by the Prison Reform Trust which says that 70% of prison inmates have at least to mental disorders. The criminal justice system just chews up the mentally ill with failure to divert to health care, delays and custodial sentences. http://www.express.co.uk/news/health/407837/I-ve-seen-how-our-justice-system-is-failing-victims-of-mental-illness-Jenny-Bradbury
Concord Monitor (US) – Judy Elliott
My Turn: On Fathers Day, a call to stop deporting immigrant fathers
So far, under Obama’s policies, over 400,000 people have been deported, allegedly serious criminal types, but in fact many of the ‘low-hanging fruit’ of easy pickings. 23% of those departed had children with US citizenship left behind and many more had no documentation at all. The pathway to citizenship remains elusive and continues to destroy families and impoverish US spouses and children. Demonstrations are planned across the US this Father’s Day. http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/6971729-95/my-turn-on-fathers-day-a-call-to-stop-deporting-immigrant-fathers Related article: Duluth News Tribune (US) – Lutheran Bishop Thomas M. Aitken Local view: Let’s keep immigrant families together, help US http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/270008