CHRISTINE ELLIOTT, M.P.P. Whitby-Oshawa

For Immediate Release
February 25, 2008

MCGUINTY LIBERALS’ REVIEW OF CRIMINAL CASE PROCEDURES WON’T FIX ONTARIO’S BROKEN JUSTICE SYSTEM: ELLIOTT

PC Justice Critic says review of Nordheimer case critical to restoring
public’s faith in justice system

(Toronto, ON) – Progressive Conservative Justice Critic Christine Elliott today said that the McGuinty Liberals’ announcement of a review of Ontario’s criminal case procedures won’t fix Ontario’s broken justice system.

“Today’s announcement is typical of the McGuinty Liberals and their band-aid solutions to Ontario’s problems,” said Elliott. “They deny there is even a problem until they are forced to do the right thing and call an inquiry. To suggest that this inquiry was called voluntarily and without regard to the Nordheimer decision strains credulity.”

Elliott made the comments in response to today’s announcement by Attorney General Chris Bentley that former Justice Patrick LeSage and Professor Michael Code will be leading a review of large and complex criminal case procedures in the province.

“Our party has been urging the government to look at ways to improve Ontario’s justice system for a long time now,” Elliott. “However, our concern is that this review will tell us absolutely nothing about what went wrong in the Nordheimer case because the government has deliberately excluded it from the review.”

“How can you fix a problem if you don’t understand it, or worse, if you deny it exists as the Attorney General continues to do,” added Elliott.

Elliott called on the McGuinty Liberals to immediately commit to a review of the Nordheimer case once it has concluded. 

“Without being able to understand what went wrong in this specific case, we won’t be able to fully restore the public’s confidence in our justice system,” said Elliott.

“This is not the far-reaching inquiry that we had hoped for, but it is at least a start. Hopefully, the government will take the recommendations of this review seriously and finally start listening to our calls to restore respect for the rule of law and our justice system,” concluded Elliott.   

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For more information:

Christine Elliott
MPP Whitby-Oshawa
(905) 430-1141