Criminal Justice 1
Refusing to testify is either a law or a new fad in Canada.
Two local and important cases illustrate the point, and the frustration of those citizens watching from the sidelines.
The B.C. Supreme Court has upheld an arbitrator's decision allowing two BC Ferries employees to be suspended without pay for not testifying before an inquiry into the sinking of the Queen of the North ferry.
Their reasons for not answering questions are spurious and self-serving. People died because of someone's negligence, most likely their own. Let us find out, please.
In the shameful case of the taser death of Robert Dziekanski at YVR last year, the judge has now been forced to threaten the RCMP with subpoenas. How ironic and disgusting is that?
The second part of Thomas Braidwood's inquiry -- into the events surrounding the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver International Airport -- has twice been delayed because RCMP officers won't testify before they know whether they face any charges in the incident.
A Crown decision on charges has not been made because the RCMP has not provided information requested by prosecutors.
Since when do people get to bargain with the judge about the "pre-conditions" of testimony?This reads like an old vaudeville routine with Runyanesque criminals refusin' "to testify on da grounds dat it maybe could implicate me, or sumptin' like dat."
And this comes from the RCMP. How happy would they be to see some scofflaw pulling the same nonsense?
The RCMP is quickly embarrassing itself out of a legitimate role in this country.
6 comments:
Welcome to Canada, eh; the country that a whole new meaning to the true North strong and 'free'.
When Mulroney made the head of the RCMP a political appointment look what happened to the rank and file. Everything went to hell, plain and simple. One doesn't need to list the scandals, lack of training and disasters here - there are too many. It will be very interesting to read the Coroner's report. (If it hasn't been fiddled with by the brass.) I don't really think the tazer was the problem but allege the piling on by three of the officers may have caused the death.. We'll see of course in the report.
The 'modern' RCMP is simply demonstrating the ability to 'follow'.
Until 'we the people' get to control the courts expect this sort of behaviour to continue to expand.
The problem, of course, is that our society has developed a mentality of unaccountability. Stemming from the top, it is now perfectly fine (to most, it seems) to not accept responsibility for one's own actions, no matter how much harm they may have caused others.
How do we change that?
The R.C.M.P. brass has not supported their members for years.
They were too busy playing politics and going to functions with politicians.
Why should their members feel any loyalty when the public treats them like dirt and their superiors don't seem to care either?
It's all about optics "children"
Pelalusa, "How do we change that"?
How indeed? I for one, am at a complete loss pertaining to that question.
One thing I do know, is that one cannot legislate morality.
Lotta help eh?
Cheers, Gary
Post a Comment