Sept 7, 2014
Toronto Star – Carol Goar
Presumption of innocence whittled away
Goar lines up the various authorities who have support a clean-up of the remand system as an instant cash saver, including government panels, economists, the Civil Liberties Association, John Howard and many others who have repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that at any given moment 60% of the jail population are on remand and have not been convicted of any crime. Goar offers four reasons why the truth and compliance with the charter does not seem to matter. http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/09/04/presumption_of_innocence_whittled_away_goar.html Related article: John Howard Society (Ontario) – The Mounting Cost of Bail and Remand in Ontario http://www.johnhoward.on.ca
Canada.com / Ottawa Citizen – Michael Woods
Another judge rules victim surcharge unconstitutional
Ontario Court Justice Jean Legault has delivered a 19 page decision that says that imposing a surcharge on a man who can’t afford to pay amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Legault’s decision is the second time a judge has found fault with the mandatory victim surcharge. The defendant, a 22 year old mentally ill person, survives on $136 a month. Daniel Laroque pleaded guilty to assault, mischief and drug possession and was facing $100 surcharge on each of seven convictions. http://www.canada.com/News/canada/Another+judge+rules+victim+surcharge+unconstitutional/10175070/story.html
Winnipeg Free Press – Mia Robinson
Parliament mired in crime-bill mess
Bill 479, the Fairness for Victims of Violent Offenders Act, has several versions floating around, including the wrong one sent and approved by the senate. The Bill applies retroactively and has the impact of changing the sentence of the court imposed on a person convicted of a crime. The bill, a private member’s bill, got unanimous consent of all parties and was originally intended to apply only to lifers to spare the every two year appearance of a victim or victim’s family at a parole hearing. No one seems to know what happens now. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/parliament-mired-in-crime-bill-mess-274061091.html
Canada.com / Ottawa Citizen – David Reevely
Too much information shielded from citizens: commissioner
Ontario’s Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian has released a report saying that both politicians and bureaucrats are abusing the right of access to information by using loopholes in the law. “In my experience, the reasoning behind this excuse is an effort to play it safe, instead of gaining a proper understanding of what the options are for disclosure, or in the worst cases, using it as a convenient diversion for inaction,” Cavoukian writes. http://www.canada.com/News/canada/much+public+information+shielded+from+citizens+commissioner/9946868/story.html
Financial Post – Justin Ling
Report says Arctic route is ‘feasible’ option to get Alberta oil to overseas markets
Faced with the likelihood that the Northern Gateway Pipeline was not happening by 2018, the company and the Alberta government have commissioned a study which says that shipping the oil via Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories is a possibility. The study, and the plan known as the Artic Gateway, was welcomed by the Premier of the Northwest Territories Bob McLeod. Trucks, trains, barges and pipeline would be used to get the 100,000 barrels of oil per day year round to Tuktoyaktuk. http://business.financialpost.com/2014/09/05/report-says-arctic-route-is-feasible-option-to-get-alberta-oil-to-overseas-markets/?__lsa=3ed5-ced7
Globe and Mail – Margaret Wente
The unspeakable truth about Rotherham (UK)
Wente is reporting on the failure of police to respond to over 1400 children groomed, raped and abused for over 16 years while authorities ignored the cases for fear of stirring racial unrest since the abusers were nearly all Muslim men of Pakistani origins. Home Secretary Theresa May called it “institutionalized political correctness.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-unspeakable-truth-about-rotherham/article20335529