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CA — The Path to Justice: Preventing Wrongful Convictions

September 19, 2011 Comments off

The Path to Justice: Preventing Wrongful Convictions
Source: Public Prosecution Service of Canada
From press release:

A new report on wrongful convictions entitled “The Path to Justice: Preventing Wrongful Convictions” was released today by the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Heads of Prosecutions Committee (HOP).

The report is a follow-up to a 2005 report entitled “Prevention of Miscarriages of Justice” and was prepared by a committee of senior prosecutors and police officers.

Today’s report concludes that “There now exists a higher level of awareness than ever before among Canadian police and prosecutors about the causes of wrongful convictions and what can be done to prevent them.”

The report urges a continuing national commitment at a senior level to focus attention on the issue. “The human cost of one wrongful conviction cannot be tolerated. Our society cannot afford to let justice fail.”

The report notes there has been a “phenomenal level” of educational activity among police and prosecutors about the causes of wrongful convictions. New recruits and veterans alike now receive regular training on the factors that contribute to wrongful convictions.

It canvasses the latest information on the most important causes of wrongful convictions, as described in the 2005 Report, including tunnel vision, eyewitness misidentification, false confessions, use of in-custody informers, and inappropriate use of forensic evidence and expert testimony.

Categories: Canada, legal and law enforcement, Public Prosecution Service of Canada
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