Presumption of innocence is often a myth
830 words; 4 minutes to read We are told, and believe, that the presumption of innocence is a core concept in Canadian law. Nobody is or should be presumed guilty until they plead guilty or are convicted in a court...
Read MoreMichael Bryant, CCLA and criminal justice
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is a champion for civil rights in all areas of Canadian life. Criminal justice is one of its focus areas. The organization has been very active in mounting court challenges around some of the...
Read MoreWhy we like punishment
675 words; 3 minutes One of the great myths about the criminal justice system is that one of its major purposes is rehabilitation, helping people who did something wrong improve themselves so they will no longer commit crimes. But when...
Read MoreHow media coverage can distort ideas about crime
750 words; 4 minutes to read This post is drawn from a single graphic produced by the wonderful web site Our World in Data. That site provides brilliant analyses of large amounts of data, often over long periods of time,...
Read MoreElection issue 1 – Crime in Canada is decreasing
This post is 740 words. 3 minutes to read. A person who only paid attention to the media, whether newspapers or TV or radio, would get the impression that crime in Canada was running amok, virtually unchecked. It is the...
Read MoreMedia portrayals of crime create problems
This post is 900 words and can be read in about 4 minutes Emotional public reactions to crime have always played an important role in shaping criminal justice. This post draws from ten recent studies (listed and linked at the...
Read MoreCrime in Canada: An overview
This post is about 700 words and can be read in about 3 minutes. It’s not easy to find a careful and balanced overview of crime and punishment in Canada, but anyone wanting such an overview should consult Diane Crocker’s...
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