Bond Reacts To Camera Ruling In Cup Case
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 @ 10:47 AM
Prince George, B.C. – Attorney General Shirley Bond has reacted to Monday’s court decision rejecting the application to broadcast a Stanley Cup riot sentencing.
The minister says “Making the justice system more transparent to British Columbians is an important public discussion.
“Last June, brazen crimes were committed in public during the Stanley Cup riot, and, since then, government has pursued the goal of having the sentencing of those found guilty broadcast to the public.
“While any member of the public can visit a courthouse in person and witness proceedings first hand, our government sought to broaden access so that more British Columbians could observe justice in action. That is why we directed the Crown to make applications and asked the court to apply its own broadcast policy to these riot trials.
“The decision by the Provincial Court does not decide the merits of all riot broadcast applications, but does raise additional questions. The approach laid out by the judge in this decision is expected to consume more time than anticipated. That is why we are taking a step back to ensure that ongoing trials are not delayed.
“The Province has had two goals – timely justice and greater transparency to the justice system. If we must choose between the two, we will pursue timely justice. Accordingly, the direction issued to Crown counsel has been rescinded.
“In the meantime, we will carefully consider Judge MacLean’s decision, and we will continue to look for opportunities to make the justice system more transparent to all British Columbians.”
Comments
Just give them all a slap on the wrist and one day house arrest. Now that’s transparency.
Minister Bond, I respectfully disagree. The arguments that will ensue from defence counsel NOT to have their client’s hearing or sentencing televised is going to cost courts time that this province doesn’t have.
While I at another time might agree with splashing their foolish faces all over the place, right now we are booting serious cases out of court and letting criminals go scot free because there is no court time.
Taking up the courts time with these arguments and hearings is not an option right now.
I do not see why there is a camera ban on this , these idiots chose to act out in public and on camera . I think it should be a justified ending to broadcast the proceedings to the public who cannot make it to watch the trials in person. Once again our justice system protects the rights of the guilty over the innocent. As a taxpayer who is paying for the damages these idiots caused I think we should all have the right to see them answer for their actions.
The problem Harleyguy is that people are presumed innocent until proven guilty in this country. So televising a person on trial that is later found innocent is not fair. It’s a violation of their rights.
How much time and money is being spent on getting cameras into the court room. Was it not a judge who had to decide this and I understand there is a back log of cases. I see this as another waste of money by this government. If the public’s curiosity must be fulfilled about these pecker-heads, after they are sentenced just splash their pictures in the media,a lot cheaper I think.
Have to agree with Sine Nomine and Littlebuds on this one: The justice system protects ALL OF US until such time as we are convicted of something. Be glad this is the case.
Bond seeks “transparency” by televising court cases because of folks like Harleyguy who are interested in venegence, not justice. These people have an eye-for-an-eye simplistic view of right and wrong that the AG seems to share (or at least she’s willing to exploit this kind of blood-lust among the great unwashed).
A much bigger problem is the backlog causing serious cases to be thrown out to a lack of timely justice. How many guilty people are going free because their lawyers know that if they go to trial there’s a very good chance they’ll go scott free in a couple of years without ever seeing the inside of a cell?
In a normal case I would agree , but I think these clowns are very clearly guilty . There is no question of it when they are openly doing it on video. If one of these clowns was my kids I would make him walk the streets with a huge sign and personally apologize to every person he saw. They were not afraid of being publicly humiliated when they were burning cars and trashing property.
Well everybody, I remember a case where Dr. Clark was accused of abusing female patients! He didn’t get his day in court before everybody in Prince George convicted him through the MEDIA.
At the end of the day, he was found not guilty of all charges, but his career was ruined!!
So why don’t we bring the cameras into court! Everybody in Prince George is so busy, minding everyone’s business. At least this way we would get some of the real truth!
If you didn’t SEE it with your own eyes! If you didn’t HEAR with your own ears! I would suggest you don’t think it with your SMALL BRAIN, and spread it with your BIG MOUTH!!
Taxi, that’s a good reminder. Thanks.
When you coming back so George and I can grab a coffee with yuh?
hopefully in the next couple of months slim, all depends on work or the “Lottery” lol
I’ll bring the coffee from Alberta………no tax
Maybe we should bring back capital punishment. We could have public hangings and people could come from miles around with a picnic lunch, and watch the performance.
Christy Clark, and Bond should know better than to bring television into the courts. The fact that they even entertained the thought indicates how naive they actually are.
We can get all the information we need from the Newspapers, TV News, etc; We dont need a **Judge Judy** court system in Canada.
People who continually refer to the rioters as **these guys** should look at
some the pictures. Plenty of women involved also.
Seems we have given up on the original mass hysteria when we blamed it all on Anarchists. A large number of these rioters come from good families, and got caught up in the moment. They should pay for the consequences of their actions, however they should be treated the same as any other law breaker.
I am looking forward to seeing the rioters that are from PG get theirs.
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