Price of justice

I was troubled by Susan Clairmont’s suggestion that there is something wrong with taxpayers footing the legal bills associated with Mark Staples’ appeals of his criminal convictions.

The integrity and credibility of Canada’s legal justice system depend on how it treats those charged with the most heinous of crimes. We have all seen the gross miscarriages of justice which occurred in the cases of Steven Truscott and Guy Paul Morin — both of whom were wrongfully convicted of murder based on circumstantial evidence. If it were not for legal counsel working pro bono (for free) or at taxpayers’ expense, both of those men would still be behind bars.

These cases are challenging for everyone, but they need to be handled carefully and fairly. If that comes at taxpayers’ expense, then it is a price that Canadian society must pay.

Ralph D’Angelo, Hamilton