Court interference could prove disastrous

I would like to comment on the item in The Telegram of June 22, 2017 headlined “Judges not the only ones who need training in sexual assault law: committee.”

This is related to the proposed Bill C-337 put forward by the now ex-leader of the federal Conservative Party of Canada, Rona Ambrose.

Apparently this bill, which requires mandatory training of federally appointed judges in sexual assault law, has all-party support. This will be, if passed, a very bad law indeed, which could easily lead to numerous wrongful convictions. One should be wary of politicians and special interest groups meddling in the training and independence of the judiciary. Already and inevitably the politicians are expanding this wretched idea to include indoctrination not only of judges but of Crown prosecutors, police, and even defence attorneys. The latter especially are in court for the protection of the best interests of their client (the accused) and not to cater to training from special interest groups like “Status of Women,” who have the admitted agenda of “believe the victim.”

How does a defence lawyer obey that declamation without compromising his duty to his client?

The newspaper item noted that all sexual assault cases are to be recorded or reported. They already are because court proceedings are routinely recorded, whatever the charge. Judges on the Federal Court of Canada do not deal with sexual assault cases, so training them in sexual assault law would be a waste of time and money.

The politicians and special interest groups should stop trying to shove the appointed judge off the bench in order to impose their politically correct views in a court of law.

Wrongful convictions anyone? Robin Reid St. John’s