Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
National

Supreme Court Stresses Jail Should Be 'The Exception' For People Awaiting Trial

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 28 Mar, 2019 07:28 PM

    OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada says making an accused person wait in jail before trial should be the exception, not the rule, in a decision that affirms a key legal safeguard intended to ensure speedy justice.


    In a 9-0 ruling today, the high court says people accused of crimes are automatically entitled to periodic reviews of their detention under provisions set out in the Criminal Code.


    In clarifying how the provisions should work, the court says Parliament intended to ensure that people awaiting trial have their cases reviewed by a judge at set points in time to consider whether keeping them in jail is justified.


    It means jailers must apply to a judge for a hearing on behalf of the accused at the 30-day mark in cases involving lesser offences, and at the 90-day mark in cases involving indictable offences.


    The case landed at the high court as a result of an appeal by Corey Lee James Myers, who was arrested on several firearms charges in British Columbia three years ago.


    Though Myers eventually pleaded guilty to reduced charges, he also challenged a decision to keep him in custody pending trial.

     

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Two Teens Pulled From Burning Car In Surrey, B.C., One Remains In Hospital

    SURREY, B.C. — RCMP say a 15-year-old boy is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after crashing an SUV in Surrey, B.C.

    Two Teens Pulled From Burning Car In Surrey, B.C., One Remains In Hospital

    Made At Ashton: Anything Is Possible

    "The best part of my job is connecting with people, empowering and developing them, and making people laugh. I love how the competition for talent has been transforming the landscape for HR into becoming more employee-centered and focusing on the psychology of human potential. " 

    Made At Ashton: Anything Is Possible

    Coroners Service Launches Interactive Map Of Unidentified Human Remains

    Coroners Service Launches Interactive Map Of Unidentified Human Remains
    VICTORIA — The BC Coroners Service has launched an interactive map of unidentified human remains in an effort to generate new leads in the cases.

    Coroners Service Launches Interactive Map Of Unidentified Human Remains

    Feds Boost Funding For Refugee Health Care, But Study Says Barriers Remain

    Feds Boost Funding For Refugee Health Care, But Study Says Barriers Remain
    OTTAWA — Canada's health program for refugees and asylum seekers is getting a $283 million boost over the next two years.

    Feds Boost Funding For Refugee Health Care, But Study Says Barriers Remain

    14-Year-Old Athena Gervais' Drowning Death Linked To Sugary Alcoholic Drinks: Quebec Coroner

    MONTREAL — A Quebec coroner has found that alcohol played a role in the death of a 14-year-old girl who was found dead in a stream behind her school in Laval, Que., last year.

    14-Year-Old Athena Gervais' Drowning Death Linked To Sugary Alcoholic Drinks: Quebec Coroner

    Tories Seek Investigation Into Leak Of Trudeau-JWR Clash Over Top Court Choice

    Tories Seek Investigation Into Leak Of Trudeau-JWR Clash Over Top Court Choice
    Conservative justice critic Lisa Raitt has sent a letter to Marc Giroux arguing that the leak "strongly suggests" that "political actors" leaked information about an appointment to the country's highest court.

    Tories Seek Investigation Into Leak Of Trudeau-JWR Clash Over Top Court Choice