News Release

For Immediate Release
May 24, 2006

Committee Launched To Reduce The Risk Of Miscarriages Of Justice

COLLINGWOOD — A committee has been established to provide expert leadership in the prevention of wrongful convictions, Attorney General Michael Bryant announced today at the annual spring conference for Ontario Crown Attorneys.

"Public confidence in the administration of justice is strengthened by the justice system's commitment to preventing miscarriages of justice," said Bryant. "This group of experts is looking into the issues involved in specific allegations of wrongful convictions, as well as seeking the best ways to prevent miscarriages of justice over the long term."

The Ontario Criminal Conviction Review Committee (OCCRC) includes six senior Crown counsel from across the province, who represent the appellate, policy and trial perspectives on the issues.

The Committee is being advised by the Honourable Michel Proulx, a former Justice of the Quebec Court of Appeal, defence lawyer and the co-author of a recent book on ethics and Canadian criminal law.

"Mr. Proulx enjoys the respect and confidence of criminal lawyers across the country and is an excellent resource for this Committee," said Bryant.

The Committee is:

• Reviewing criminal convictions where a miscarriage of justice is alleged, including cases that engage reviews by the federal Minister of Justice under the Criminal Code
• Providing expert advice and guidance to Crowns across the province in dealing with some of the difficult issues relating to potential miscarriages of justice
• Developing educational and policy initiatives aimed at the prevention of miscarriages of justice
• Developing protocols and best practices for dealing with these cases and preventing future miscarriages of justice.

The OCCRC builds on the Ministry of the Attorney General's longstanding processes for reviewing each individual case where wrongful conviction is alleged, and taking appropriate steps to ensure justice is served.

Ontario is recognized as a leader in the area of educational and policy development to help prevent miscarriages of justice. Other provincial initiatives relating to the issue of wrongful convictions include:

• Playing a key role in developing the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Heads of Prosecution Report on the Prevention of Miscarriages of Justice
• Sharing best practices with other jurisdictions, such as the international conference on wrongful convictions held in Winnipeg last fall
• Establishing a special team of Crowns that spent more than a year putting in place an educational framework on issues of miscarriages of justice that has served as a model for other jurisdictions, following from the Commission on Proceedings Involving Guy Paul Morin
• Implementing a number of Crown policies relating to the restricted use of in-custody informers, the use of expert scientific evidence and appellate related issues.

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