{"id":6135,"date":"2014-04-05T16:19:46","date_gmt":"2014-04-05T08:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=6135"},"modified":"2014-04-05T16:19:46","modified_gmt":"2014-04-05T08:19:46","slug":"statement-from-david-swann-due-process-matters-even-in-small-cases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2014\/04\/05\/statement-from-david-swann-due-process-matters-even-in-small-cases\/","title":{"rendered":"Statement from David Swann: Due process matters even in small cases"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Alberta<\/a>
Alberta Liberal leader David Swann. Photo by Dave Cournoyer via Wikipedia<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

CALGARY \u2013\u00a0<\/i>Alberta Liberal Human Services critic David Swann has released the following statement in response to Justice Minister Jonathan Denis\u2019 proposal to do away with Traffic Courts:<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first glance, the government\u2019s proposal to dismantle the Traffic Court System, and replace it with an administrative system where an arbitrator would process speeding tickets and similar minor traffic offenses, may not look like a big deal. But it is.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a big deal because the right to a fair trial is of vital importance to Albertans, and indeed, all Canadians. That is why it is guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat this says, in short, is that due process matters \u2013 even in small cases.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe right to a fair trial is absolute, which is what the existing Traffic Court System honours. Right or wrong, if an Albertan chooses to fight a traffic ticket, which is also their right, then the onus is on the Crown to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. For example: they must show that the radar gun worked, that it was well maintained, and that the officer in question did his job by the book.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe minister thinks this process is expensive and cumbersome, and it may well be. But justice is rarely simple, clean, and easy. It is, however, the duty of the government to protect and uphold\u00a0justice\u00a0\u2013 whether the PCs like it or not.<\/p>\n

\u201cCharter rights are guaranteed whether or not there is a\u00a0more \u2018efficient\u2019 and \u2018cost-effective\u2019\u00a0way to adjudicate disputes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must not allow this arrogant PC government to continue picking and choosing when to honour the Charter rights of Albertans. It was wrong when the PCs brought in Bill 45, which was an assault on the free speech rights of Albertans who may choose to speak or write in favour of an illegal strike. It was wrong when the PCs brought in Bill 46, which was an attack on the collective bargaining rights of the Alberta Union of Public Employees. And it is wrong for the PCs to even think about doing away with the right to a fair trial \u2013 even for something as small as a traffic ticket.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis PC government\u2019s current enthusiasm for unconstitutional solutions to matters they find irksome or irritating is abhorrent. It must end \u2013 and this reckless notion of doing away with due process in matters relating to traffic violations must be abandoned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Official statement released 02 April 2014 courtesy of Liberal Communications Office, Alberta Liberal Party.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  CALGARY \u2013\u00a0Alberta Liberal Human Services critic David Swann has released the following statement in response to Justice Minister Jonathan …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":6136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1482,18],"tags":[1771,608,1768,1769,1770,9401],"class_list":["post-6135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-breaking","category-news-ca","tag-alberta","tag-canadian","tag-david-swann","tag-liberal","tag-opposition","tag-politics","mauthors-liberal-communications-office","mauthors-alberta-liberal-party"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6135"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6135\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}