April 24, 2015
Toronto Star – Michelle Shepherd
Alberta judge grants Omar Khadr bail – The former Guantanamo detainee has been in custody since 2002 when he was captured at the age of 15
Alberta Justice June Ross has decided to grant a bail application for Omar Khadr while Khadr pursues an appeal of his conviction and sentence (to eight years) by a US military court. The US released him to Canadian authorities who accepted the Canadian citizen only after exhaustive delays. One of the points at law was the right of the Canadian judge to grant bail for a US appeal. “This is a circumstance where balancing a strong appeal and the public confidence in the administration of justice favour the same result,” Ross wrote in the decision released today. http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/04/24/alberta-judge-grants-omar-khadr-bail.html Related article: Globe and Mail – Sean Fine Alberta judge grants Omar Khadr bail pending appeal http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/omar-khadr-to-learn-today-if-alberta-judge-will-grant-him-bail/article24096189/ Related article: CBC News Omar Khadr granted bail, but federal government to appeal – Convicted war criminal to remain at Bowden Institution in Alberta until bail conditions are set http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/omar-khadr-granted-bail-but-federal-government-to-appeal-1.3046775 Related article: Globe and Mail editorial: (March 23, 2015) Why Omar Khadr deserves bail http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/why-omar-khadr-deserves-bail/article23620688/
CBC News – Laura Peyton
Mandatory minimum sentences fight cost big bucks, records show – Department of Justice records show 15 losing cases cost federal government $4.7M
The federal government litigated 15 losing cases. The additional costs amounted to $4.7 million and include over $1 million on the tough-on-crime agenda. The list of cases involved and their costs may surprise you. The Khadr case, which defies understanding, is at $626,000; the effort to close the safe injection site in Vancouver is at $426,000. Liberal MP Ralph Goodale requested the information. No one is really sure of the legal costs for the government since the costs are spread out over various departments. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mandatory-minimum-sentences-fight-cost-big-bucks-records-show-1.3042725
CBC News – Kathleen Harris
Military reports reveal soldiers, sailors busted for drug dealing – Reports reveal cases involving crystal meth, cocaine trafficking, marijuana grow-ops
Access to information releases by the Department of National Defence have report 25 incident reports involving serious drug cases involving military personnel, 11 of which occurred in 2014. The article includes an explanation about how the Armed Forces handle both investigations and the media response to military personnel involvement. The majority of the offences investigated involve marijuana. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/military-reports-reveal-soldiers-sailors-busted-for-drug-dealing-1.3046559
Toronto Star – Metroland Media News – Alex Boutilier and Nevil Hunt
Mass strip search of U.S. students by Canadian guards broke policy, documents show
The incident, involving a bus load of US College students, occurred in 2011 and was kept under wraps by the Canadian Border Services Agency. The mass strip search took place at the Thousand Islands (ON) crossing and was determined to be against CBSA policy. The searches were apparently prompted by an initial assessment that some of the individuals on the bus had been involved in “past criminality.” A request for review by CBSA of the incident came from the chief of CBSA at Thousand Islands. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/04/24/mass-strip-search-of-us-students-by-canadian-guards-broke-policy-documents-show.html
Canada.com / Ottawa Citizen – Jesse Winter
Prison watchdog concerned over long-term segregation
For some time now, the terminology has been at issue: is it solitary confinement or administrative segregation? CSC says that solitary or segregation can be disciplinary or administrative segregation, stemming from disciplinary reasons or for the protection of the individual or the institution itself. While there are rules around disciplinary segregation, the rules don’t apply to administrative segregation. Correctional investigator Howard Sapers wants the rules applied to both so that there is no chance that the worse or any excess could happen again: an unidentified inmate who spent almost 17 years in solitary. Sapers is reporting a 6.5% increase in the use of solitary over the last five years. Ontario has initiated an inquiry into the practice and John Howard Society and the BC Civil Liberties have a lawsuit pending over solitary. The UN says that any more than 15 days is torture. http://www.canada.com/News/politics/Canadian+prisoner+solitary+confinement+years/10998375/story.html Related article: Globe and Mail editorial (April 13, 2015) The Harper government is out of touch on solitary confinement http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/the-harper-government-is-out-of-touch-on-solitary-confinement/article23907397/
National Newswatch – Laura Kane
Federal government disapproves of Vancouver plan to regulate medical pot shops
Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, has written to Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, insisting that the mayor has no right to hold city council discussions on licensing pot stores. City staff will present a recommendation, including a $30,000 license fee, on Tuesday; Ambrose says the city has no authority. “…the regulations,” she says, “do not provide municipalities with the authority to legitimize the commercial sale of marijuana, which remains an illegal substance.” http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2015/04/23/federal-government-disapproves-of-vancouver-plan-to-regulate-medical-pot-shops/#.VTpfaZNQRUZ
Ottawa Citizen – Tanya Kirnishni
Pilot project’s Ottawa survey aims to ‘triage’ city’s homeless
Mike Bulthuis, executive director of the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, at an AGM has announced an effort by Ottawa, Waterloo and Hamilton, and hopefully 30 other communities, to end homelessness for 20,000 people by July 2018 in an alliance of housing efforts. “It’s more than a campaign. It’s like a housing intervention,” says Bulthuis. The first step is to send out staff and volunteers to discover the realities of the homeless. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/pilot-projects-ottawa-survey-aims-triage-citys-homeless