Courts Again Fail Victims – Runciman
(Toronto) - Two individuals found responsible for what a judge described as the “senseless” and “violent ambush” killing of a 17 year old Brampton boy could be released from prison after serving less than 3 years of a 6 year sentence thanks to what Ontario’s Leader of the Opposition describes as the “generosity” of the courts.
Bob Runciman (MPP for Leeds-Grenville) reacted today to press reports that two men convicted in the 2005 ambush slaying of Dwayne Lloyd will only serve a maximum of 20 ½ months in jail as a result of the presiding judge’s decision to award the convicted felons two for one credits for the time spent in jail awaiting trial.
“This is yet another example of the courts failing victims of crime” exclaimed Runciman, a former Solicitor General. “The convicted men were denied bail and held in custody based, at least in part, on their own previous criminal misconduct” he said. “There is nothing in law that requires a judge to award pre-trial custody credit but this has become a routine process with far too many judges.”
Runciman renewed his Party’s call for the provincial government to bring in legislation that “shines a light” on the activities of courts and the people who work in them.
“The time is long overdue for the public to have access to information that will require accountability for the people and institutions responsible for administering justice in our province” asserted the veteran MPP.
“We owe it to the public, to taxpayers and especially to victims of crime” he concluded.
