June 9, 2022

Toronto Star – Rachel Mendleson & Steve Buist

Police across Canada repeatedly violating citizen rights, Torstar investigation finds

The Toronto Star has a series of three articles called ‘Unchartered,’ first running today that documents the problems attendant on police violating the rights of both innocent and guilty.  Further the number of cases is over 600 and occurring twice weekly, without overt reprimand to police or consequences for the offending officers.  There excellent graphics but also the text includes quoted references to the court transcripts.  “From Vancouver to Iqaluit to St. John’s, N.L., a Torstar investigation has identified cases of police brutality, callousness and ignorance among officers who don’t appear to understand suspects’ rights. In multiple cities, after serious breaches were repeated by officers in successive cases, judges are upbraiding entire police forces for “systemic” Charter violations within their ranks.”  https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/police-rights-violations.html Part 2 of the Series Unchartered: Illegal strip searches. Mishandled evidence. Slapdash raids. How nine Canadian police forces continued flouting the law despite judges’ warnings – These systemic abuses are found among the more than 600 rulings over the past decade where judges found police committed serious Charter violations.  https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2022/06/09/canadian-police-forces-systemic-charter-violations.html   Part 3 of the series Unchartered:  How Torstar found 600 cases of police violating fundamental rights when no one is tracking this national problem – With help from Western University’s law school, Torstar scoured thousands of court records for those where judges found serious Charter violations.  https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2022/06/09/how-torstar-found-600-cases-of-police-violating-fundamental-rights-when-no-one-is-tracking-this-national-problem.html  Related article: Robyn Urback – Globe and Mail  The Nova Scotia inquiry is prioritizing the trauma of police over the trauma of victims’ families  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-nova-scotia-inquiry-is-prioritizing-the-trauma-of-police-over-the/

Toronto Star – Tonda MacCharles

‘It’s amazing in a sad way’: Handgun sales are ‘insane’ after Ottawa unveiled plan to ban them, store owners say – A week after the federal government proposed to freeze handgun sales and bring in tougher measures to curb illegal gun violence, gun vendors say handguns are flying off the shelves.

This report is both dangerous and scary.  Does it mean that such a reaction, common in the US when gun laws are revised in any way, is now part of the Canadian approach to culture and law?  The legislation has support from all political parties in the House of Commons.  “Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet called Tuesday for all parties in the House of Commons to unanimously support an immediate freeze on handgun sales, in order to combat the run on guns by those who already hold valid licences for the restricted weapons… Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Tuesday a proposed handgun “freeze” is a key measure he’d like to pass immediately.”  https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2022/06/07/its-amazing-in-a-sad-way-handgun-sales-are-insane-after-ottawa-unveiled-plan-to-ban-them-store-owners-say.html

CBC News – Ariana Keller

N.L. police chartered $91K flight for accused killer banned from flying commercial – Emails show Royal Newfoundland Constabulary scrambled to return Sheldon Hibbs to face 2nd-degree murder charge

Here’s an answer to questions about why the high financial costs of justice.  Sheldon Hibbs was arrested on a Canada-wide warrant in Calgary to answer a murder charge laid by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary in St. John’s.  Hibbs had apparently misbehaved on a public flight previously so the two offices sent to escort him back had to look for a chartered, private flight to meet the deadline for court appearance as set by the Criminal Code.  Even efforts to use RCMP aircraft was too complicated. $91,885 for the charter, apparently without the costs for the two constables sent to get him.  Experts say the charter is highly unusual.  https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/sheldon-hibbs-private-charter-1.6460874    Related article:  CBC News – RCMP entered home while family slept, started questioning 11-year-old, says mother – Cortney Pike says she awoke early Sunday to find police in her home  https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/cortney-pike-rcmp-daughters-bedroom-1.6480341  Related article: CBC News – Catherine Tunney  CBSA officers caught giving preferential treatment, associating with criminals, documents reveal – The border agency says it concluded 92 ‘founded’ investigations last year   https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cbsa-preferential-treatment-misconduct-1.6480040?utm_source=Morning+Brief&utm_campaign=bc0a6785bd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_12_02_COPY_1365&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a43c5d924a-bc0a6785bd-206962393  (A ‘founded’ case is one where the initial evidence is found to warrant further investigation.)

The Lawyer’s Daily – Terry Davidson

Manitoba praised for proposing ‘Clare’s Law’ in bid to fight intimate partner violence

Acknowledging that Manitoba is a province with very high incidents of domestic partner violence advocates are suggesting that other provinces, besides Alberta and Saskatchewan where it is already law, will move to adopt this measure.  The Bill is named for a UK victim Clare Wood who was killed by a boy-friend with previously known violence.  Authorities were aware but Clare was not aware of the boy-friend’s previous violence.  The bill seeks to inform domestic partners rather than hold silence.  “The purpose of Clare’s Law is to provide Manitobans with access to information on whether their partner has a documented history of violence, as well as access to public and community-based supports to promote safety and end the cycle of violence,” said Squires (Minister of Families) in a government news release.” https://www.thelawyersdaily.ca/criminal/articles/37104/manitoba-praised-for-proposing-clare-s-law-in-bid-to-fight-intimate-partner-violence?nl_pk=40ed8ea4-637a-4d76-870f-04f0eeae7de8&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=criminal  Related article: CBC News –  Guy Quenneville   Killer of 3 women a ‘domestic violence terrorist,’ inquest hears – Police tagged killer as a ‘high risk’ threat 2 years before his murderous rampage   https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/coroners-inquest-intimate-partner-violence-renfrew-1.6482117   Related article: The Conversation –  Don’t call me resilient podcast –  Vinita Srivastava   Diamond mines are not a girl’s best friend  https://theconversation.com/diamond-mines-are-not-a-girls-best-friend-podcast-183972?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20June%209%202022&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20June%209%202022+CID_389cb4355d8f505c4bcdff81d3cef9f4&utm_source=campaign_monitor_ca&utm_term=Diamond%20mines%20are%20not%20a%20girls%20best%20friend%20%20Podcast   (A twenty-four minute podcast on violence against women in Canada’s diamond mining)

Pew Research Foundation (US) –

Americans’ Views of Government: Decades of Distrust, Enduring Support for Its Role – 65% say most political candidates run for office ‘to serve their own personal interests’

“Americans remain deeply distrustful of and dissatisfied with their government. Just 20% say they trust the government in Washington to do the right thing just about always or most of the time – a sentiment that has changed very little since former President George W. Bush’s second term in office.”  The Pew people are a very reputable research organization and difficult to dismiss.  The specifics of the data raise genuine concern with any proposal to find the collective way out of the current moral and political stalemate.  There remains, however, a broad spectrum of tasks – and support – for the federal government.  https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/06/06/americans-views-of-government-decades-of-distrust-enduring-support-for-its-role/?utm_campaign=2022-06-08+Rundown&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Pew&subscriberkey=00Q0P00000oErugUAC

Blogger Russell Webster (UK)

The future of unpaid work

Webster invites Phil Bowen of the Centre for Justice Innovation to blog on their new report on the (much neglected) area of unpaid work.  He means community service and calls it “the jewel in the probation crown.”  The new report acknowledges the decline in community services in the UK over the last ten years but also the decline in the capacity of the probation services to supervise the programs adequately.  The positive in the face of the decline is the conclusion that community service is an excellent way to involve local communities in public safety.  https://www.russellwebster.com/the-future-of-unpaid-work/    Full report:  Centre for Justice Innovation: Nigel Bennett & Phil Bowen The Future of Unpaid Work:  Payback with a purpose  https://justiceinnovation.org/sites/default/files/media/document/2022/20220608%20The%20Future%20of%20Unpaid%20work%20vFINAL%20%281%29_0.pdf