January 17, 2015
1770
OPEN LETTER FROM HURON-BRUCE MPP LISA THOMPSON TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ON WALKERTON BAIL COURT
Jan. 16, 2015
The Honourable Madeleine Meilleur
Attorney General of Ontario
McMurtry-Scott Building
720 Bay Street, 11th Floor
Toronto, ON M7A 2S9
Dear Minister Meilleur:
I am writing to you today with regard to an ongoing issue involving the Walkerton Bail Court.
Regional Senior Justice of the Peace Bridget Forster issued a memo during the first week of January stating that, as of Jan. 19, 2015, all Judicial Interim Release matters for Walkerton would be heard by the Justice of the Peace at the Owen Sound Courthouse. The reason cited for this change of venue was that there are insufficient courtrooms to meet the needs of the various court sittings at the Walkerton Courthouse.
This matter is causing a great deal of concern among members of the legal community and I have been contacted by several constituents upset about the consequences of this decision.
Small municipalities are already struggling with policing costs, and this new directive will result in serious financial impacts, as the police have been able to transport arrested individuals to Walkerton for bail hearings with on-duty officers already scheduled to attend court business. This transfer to Owen Sound will likely increase the amount of overtime paid out to officers for bail hearings.
In addition, it appears that there was little to no consultation with members of the judiciary, police or associated court staff, who were caught off-guard by this notice. It is my understanding that the Grey County Criminal Defence Lawyers Association and the Bruce County Criminal Defence Bar have requested that this decision be postponed until after a consultation process, during which all of the affected parties will have an opportunity to raise their concerns.
From a personal standpoint, I feel that this move will result in hardship for the lawyers, Crown Attorneys, bail surety agents and families of the accused, who will have to travel to Owen Sound for these hearings. Due to the frequent winter storms and road closures that we experience in this area, hearings will necessarily have to be rescheduled on a regular basis due to the inclement weather, thus causing backups in the system and accused individuals to remain in custody for a longer period. Another consideration is the question of transportation arrangements for individuals brought from custody in Penetanguishene and released in Owen Sound.
A decision which holds such wide-ranging implications should not be made without consultation and due consideration of community concerns. Minister, could you please outline what assistance your ministry can provide to facilitate a comment period for local stakeholders, in order to examine the adverse impacts of this change and to accommodate a mutually-agreeable arrangement? It is essential that meaningful public consultation take place in a timely fashion, so I would respectfully request that this process be initiated by Jan. 23, 2015.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Lisa Thompson, MPP, Huron-Bruce
cc. The Honourable Yasir Naqvi
Ms. Sylvia Jones, MPP Dufferin-Caledon
Mr. Rick Nichols, MPP Chatham-Kent-Essex
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