NCJ Number
183777
Date Published
1999
Length
429 pages
Annotation
This book examines how Canadian police, courts, politicians, and lawyers approach the investigation, prosecution and punishment of persons accused of serious crimes.
Abstract
The book examines why the presumption of innocence is so important and whether it stands in the way of the truth. It also examines the role of the victim in the Canadian criminal justice system, the way convicted offenders are sentenced, and whether parole should be abolished. Further, it considers whether politicians and others who advocate a “get tough on crime” approach contribute to the perceived crisis in the administration of justice. The book defends the need to punish, reviews conditional justice, and discusses what it describes as the “injustice” of parole. It reviews the rule of law and getting off on technicalities. A chapter on justifiable homicide includes discussion of forgiving human weakness; the law of self-defense; provocation and excusing the inexcusable; The Abuse Excuse: “Psychobabble” and the Protection of Basic Values; and Disordered Minds: Insanity, Automatism, and Intoxication. A chapter on the role of the victim describes “the sad truth about victims’ rights.” The final chapter responds to the credibility crisis. Notes