Kyla Lee says Bill C-75’s faults have been getting a lot of media attention but she says one concerning aspect has been overlooked..
Lee says the bill limits cross examination of police officers over what it calls routine police evidence, which might not sound nefarious.
“But the definition in the bill of routine police evidence is actually very significant. It encompasses everything a police officer does from identifying an accused individual to anything they say with them or otherwise interacting with them. It covers the collection, handling, and identification of evidence as well as making observations. That is everything that policing is.”
“But that is only exposed through cross examination, which this bill prohibits unless the judge gives permission to cross examine the officer.”
She says the tasering death of Robert Dziekanski is a perfect example of police officers proven to have lied under oath.
So how do we fix it?
“To remove those sections from the bill. They are completely offensive to our entire concept of justice and due process.”
Lee says cross examining witnesses is a cornerstone of any defence and of our justice system as a whole.
Read Shane Woodford‘s full article here: http://www.radionl.com/2018/04/04/a-lawyer-is-raising-the-alarm-over-federal-justice-reforms/
