News Release

For Immediate Release
March 21, 2005

Crown Policy Manual Publicly Available For The First Time Online

TORONTO — Ontarians will have a better understanding of the province's justice system as the newly updated Crown Policy Manual is made public online for the first time, Attorney General Michael Bryant said today.

"The Crown Policy Manual has been updated to better reflect current laws and the needs of Ontarians when it comes to justice issues," said Bryant. "The policies outlined in this manual demonstrate my commitment to vigorously prosecute crimes which put public safety at risk. These include gun crimes, crimes against children, hate crimes, domestic violence and sexual assault."

The newly revised manual contains clear transparent principles that guide Crown attorneys in the prosecution of their cases. It also provides information to victims and the public on how the criminal justice system works.

"It is essential that we modernize the justice system and increase public confidence by being more open with information," said Bryant. "For the first time, Crown policies are accessible to the public on the Attorney General's website. This enhances the openness, transparency and accountability of our justice system, and helps people understand how prosecutors do their jobs."

Crown Policies can be viewed at www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca. Practice Memoranda, which explain how Crown policies may be applied, will also be made available, in hardcopy or CD-ROM version upon request, once they are finalized.

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