Dec. 3, 2013
CBC News – Maureen Brosnan
Ashley Smith inquest jury begins deliberations
After a year and 12,000 pages of testimony, the inquest into the death of the New Brunswick teen goes to the jury today. Ashley’s mother Coralee Smith says that even after all the testimony, “There still has been no stand-up accountability, the transparency is just not there so I don’t know in that area if we’ll ever be satisfied.” The jury consists of five women. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ashley-smith-inquest-jury-begins-deliberations-1.2446544
Hill Times
Opposition MPs say feds’ anti-cyber-bullying bill ‘ghost of Vic Toews’ e-snooping bill’
The Cyberbullying Bill (C-13) is beginning to look a lot like Bill C-30, the lawful access to information bill introduced by Vic Toews in 2012 and abandoned when privacy concerns grew loud across the country. Of the 70 clauses in C-13, only seven deal with actual cyberbullying, the rest with investigative tools very similar to what prompted the outcry against C-30. http://www.hilltimes.com/news/legislation/2013/12/02/opposition-mps-say-feds%E2%80%99-anti-cyber-bullying-bill-%E2%80%98ghost-of-vic/36820
Law Times (ON) – Legal Feeds – Charlotte Santry
Bill to reform NCR provisions puts public at greater risk: lawyer
Calling the legislation “knee-jerk” reaction, criminal defense lawyer Paul Alexander thinks that the provisions of the bill to change the NCR legislation “flies in the face of what the psychiatrists who practise in this area are telling the government about how to ensure public safety.” The point revolves around whether the intense treatment needed for an actual NCR is available in prison. http://www.canadianlawyermag.com/legalfeeds/1809/bill-to-reform-ncr-provisions-puts-public-at-greater-risk-lawyer.html?utm_source=responsys&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20131202_CLNewswire
Pipestone Flyer (Leduc, Alberta) – Barry McDonald
Court Sentencing Vs Restorative Justice
As part of RJ week this year, the Wetaskiwin Restorative Justice and Samson Restorative Justice Programs took an opportunity to deliver a workshop calculated to encourage an alternate community approach to offenders. The article illustrates how the notion of justice changes when community engagement is invoked. http://www.pipestoneflyer.com/Article.asp?id=3900
CBC News
Anti-bullying policy updated by N.L. government – Government updates policy to address cyberbullying and sexting
In an effort to update a 2006 policy on bullying, the provincial government called together teachers, students and police in a workshop identifying the needs. The proposal involves a new protocol and a code of conduct and schools will become responsible for tracking incidents on a province-wide data base. Funding and methodology seem vague. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/anti-bullying-policy-updated-by-n-l-government-1.2448319
Guardian (UK) – Erwin James
Why is Sweden closing its prisons? Sweden’s prison population has dropped so dramatically that the country plans to close four of its prisons. What lessons can the UK learn?
Long reputed as liberal and progressive, Sweden prisons have a 6% decrease in population without any apparent decrease in the crime rate for 2011-2012. Rarely does a sentence exceed 10 years and the recidivism rate is between 30-40% over three years – about one half the UK rate – and for offenders who serve 12 months or less most frequently. http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/dec/01/why-sweden-closing-prisons
Huffington Post (US) – Elena Shore
Common Cause Unites Women, LGBT and Immigrant Rights Leaders
There is considerable concern about the protection of the LGBT community in immigration detention in the US from the viewpoint of assaults from other detainees and sexual assault by staff. The frequent use of solitary for detainees identified as part of the vulnerable group is also a factor. What progress made seems due to the availability of public defenders. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elena-shore/common-cause-unites-women_b_4346127.html
International Detention Coalition (Germany)
The state of Bavaria in Germany announces it will stop holding immigration detainees in prisons
The Justice Minister of the State of Bavaria has been prompted by several court decisions to release failed immigrants from prisons to set up specialized detention centres specifically for immigration detainees. The practice of holding immigrants in prison is contrary to the international standards under the EU. http://idcoalition.org/the-state-of-bavaria-in-germany-announces-it-will-stop-holding-immigration-detainees-in-prisons
ABC News – Greg Keller, Associated Press
Europe Rights Court Hearing on Secret CIA Prisons
Third country rendition of terror suspects brought by the CIA to hidden and secret detention in Europe will get to see the light of day as the European Human Rights Court hears the case of two men held in a “black site” in a Polish prison where they were allegedly tortured before the practice ended in 2006 and the suspects went to Guantanamo. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/europe-rights-court-hear-secret-cia-prisons-21077955