Tory bill fi nds right mix

The fact that all factions are dissatisfied with some aspect of the federal Conservatives’ new victims bill of rights means the legislation has probably struck just the right balance. The bill has accorded the victims of crime more dignity and consideration than they have received in the past, but it has wisely refrained from giving them any kind of say over such things as plea bargains, parole and other issues best left to the justice system to decide. The bill equally sagely keeps the proper perspective when it comes to defining the place of victims in the justice process.

Justice is not about the victim — it is about the accused. To acknowledge that the focus must be on the accused does not negate or otherwise diminish the impact crime has on its victims. Rather, it sets necessary priorities and affirms one of the cornerstones of any true democracy — the presumption of innocence of the accused.

One seemingly unrelated section of the bill requires an individual to testify against their spouse if, as Justice Minister Peter MacKay says, the spouse is involved in “cases of murder, terrorism, fraud.” That’s a sensible provision — if someone poses a threat to national security or has committed a murder, there is no valid reason a spouse should be exempt from telling what he or she knows about the crime.

In general, the bill does an excellent job of beefing up consideration for victims , and has struck a careful balance in doing so by not assigning victims an undue and potentially disruptive say in the judicial process.