Ontario court documents will be more open to the media

Strict secrecy will be lifted from cases, such as those involving young offenders

 

KIRK MAKIN

Globe and Mail Update

April 2, 2009 at 4:15 AM EDT

JUSTICE REPORTER

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Ontario will relax a rigid clamp of secrecy over cases ranging from sexual offences and extortion to criminal matters involving young offenders, Ontario Attorney-General Chris Bentley said yesterday.

Mr. Bentley said that allowing the media access to files in these cases will enhance public awareness of information that was routinely sealed in courthouses throughout the province.

"An essential part of strengthening the administration of justice is to make sure that it can be as open and transparent as possible," the Attorney-General said in an interview.

He said that in criminal cases involving young offenders, the media will be able to easily learn when and where specific cases are being heard - basic information that has stood as a major impediment to reporting the cases.

Mr. Bentley also said that he will look into relaxing a ministry policy that prevents prosecutors and ministry staff from responding to questions from the media.

While it is imperative that Crowns not be seen as partisan, Mr. Bentley said, loosening the absolute gag they are under could help public understanding of individual cases and the justice system as a whole.

"I would want to think about the implications of that, take some advice from the ministry and from Crowns who work on the front line every day," Mr. Bentley said.

"It's an interesting question. I think we can take a good look at what we're doing, why we are doing it, and whether we could assist members of the public of understanding some of what we do.

"Because, over time, it might have the effect of enhancing the confidence people have in our administration of justice."

Brian Rogers, a Toronto media lawyer, said that yesterday's changes are significant. "It affects a lot of cases in a lot of courtrooms," Mr. Rogers said in an interview. "These are policies that should never have been introduced, and which should have been changed long ago.

"Now, the public will get a more accurate picture of what goes on in the courts," he said.

"Without a justice system that has credibility - that doesn't seem like some hocus-pocus black box that nobody understands - you don't have real democracy."

Mr. Rogers said that, had the changes been in effect several months ago, they would have prevented a dispute that arose in a high-profile case in Hamilton involving a man who was charged with attempted murder after he had sex with several women, despite knowing that he was infected with HIV-AIDS.

Reporters covering the trial were unable even to get a copy of a court transcript in the case without a specific judicial order, Mr. Rogers said.

The changes reflect those made by similar levels of court across the country. A leader in the movement - the Ontario Court of Appeal - recently conducted a pilot project in which some hearings were televised. The Court also recently enhanced media access to court files.

 

 

Source

 

 

Commentary by the Ottawa Mens Centre

Ottawa Mens Centre.com, from Home of the Corrupt Judge Allan D. Sheffield of Ottawa Ontario Superior Court (Family Division), Canada) wrote: Bullonny, Chris Bentley is the voice of propaganda, the reality is that there is next to Zero accountability for the criminal conduct of Ontario Judges.

For example, Back in 1989 Justice Howland ordered that litigants did not need PRIOR permission of the court to "record" hearings.

The fact is, most court houses will not let litigants into the court room carrying any form of recording device, there is an assumption that "this is illegal",

Oh really, Chris Bentley perhaps might care to explain why MOST judges will NOT give that permission and, we don't need to ask CB
why litigants are not going to ask for that prior permission or, what will happen to any litigant who is brave enough to ask.

The only solution is to allow anyone to record anything in any hearing absent extraordinary bans.

IF you can sit in a court room you should be allowed to record it.
Judges don't want that so as to prevent evidence of their criminal acts in the court room or evidence of their flagrant abuse of power.

Our judges are a collection of the lowest form of life in Canada, they are there to uphold the law but many use and abuse their power to keep the government of the day happy in "disposing of cases".

Judges LACK the moral ability to attack their own government for overloading them and failing to appoint sufficient judges to do the job.

As a result, judges make simply political decisions, and more importantly, just decisions that result in dismissing of cases or making cases go away.

Many judges refuse to go along and are credits to the judiciary, unfortunately, MOST cannot and will not stand up for the Rule of Law, they prostitute themselves, their values, their ideals simply to keep their boss, the government of Ontario happy, and in doing so, make it quite clear, they are the very worst forms of life in Canada not to mention professional child abusers.

www.OttawaMensCentre.com

 

Ottawa Mens Centre.com, from Home of the Corrupt Judge Allan D. Sheffield of Ottawa Ontario Superior Court (Family Division), Canada) wrote: It sounds Just So Lovely, doesn't it, televised court hearings? What Chris Bentley does not tell you is that you will NEVER see Family Court or CAS matters live on television.

You wont see on TV how corrupt judges like Allan Sheffield of Ottawa takes a phone call requesting a hearing for summary judgment when four other judges ordered trials, or how the pleadings arrived on his desk with little yellow stickies, "attention Justice Sheffield"

In Ottawa over 70 family law cases were scheduled for TRIAL , and of those only 4 made it trial, and 3 were decided by SUMMARY JUDGMENT, a draconian measure used when "there is no genuine issue for trial".

These decisions for summary judgment generally deprive a child permanently of a relationship with their father for which NO evidence existed to support such a draconian order,
Corrupt Judges Like ALLAN SHEFFIELD simply act as as a "hit man" to do the judiciary's dirty work of "getting rid of cases" or to "get revenge" for speaking out against a corrupt judge.

Ottawa is well known as being the cess pool for Ontario Judges, the very worst judges work there, that is, the few judges who make most of the draconian horrific decisions, work out of Ottawa Judges Chambers,
its not in the basement, its not outdoors, the filthy collection of criminal scumbags reside on the Fifth Floor of 161 Elgin Street Ottawa.

www.OttawaMensCentre.com

 

 

 

Ottawa Mens Centre.com, from WARNING JUSTICE MARY JANE HATTON IN CHARGE OF ONTARIO'S REVIEW OF FAMILY LAW - MAN HATER EXTRADONAIR !, Canada) wrote: Thank you Chris Bently, nice announcement, sounds wonderful, unfortunately, it will simply make judges a little more careful before they make the same decisions.

The camera's will not be in JUDGES CHAMBERS, and if you are a lawyer or litigant, you need to remember a word of advice regarding Madam Justice Mary Jane Hatton, who is to "chair" the "reform of family law".

Justice Mary Jane Hatton is one of the most arrogant snobs in the judiciary, she hates men and anyone who is of a "lower class".

Her way of avoiding making mistakes in the court room is to do the dirty work in Chambers where no one is recording the conversation and where she is protected by the privileges of her judicial office.

If you want to avoid being screwed over by Justice Mary Jane Hatton, the best idea is to call your doctor and arrange an emergency medical problem when the hearing is due.

If you can't do that then simply remember, NEVER go into her chambers for any reason what so ever, and of course, cameras will never be allowed there nor will we hear the phone calls or conversations with court staff on how they are going to get rid of that incredible number of cases by 3:00 pm so they can all go home early.

The Ontario Government has shown that it has NO intention of making any real reforms to family law, it is exactly the opposite, their policies of male hatred underpin Ontario Family Law and its getting worse by the day.

The Ontario Government has shown its true colours by the appointment of Madam Justice Mary Jane Hatton , man hater, snob extraordinaire , to chair the reform of family law.

Expect more bad news.

www.OttawaMensCentre.com