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Opposition Leader Gerry Reid today said that he agrees with statements made
by lawyer Jerome Kennedy that the rights of accused individuals in our court
system must be strengthened to protect them from false and misleading
charges that are brought against their character and reputation. "This
issue brings forth a very difficult discussion that needs to take place in
Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada," said Mr. Reid. "While the rights of
society must be considered when publishing the names of accused individuals,
this must be balanced with the rights of the person accused of a particular
crime. It is unacceptable for the accused to eventually become the victim of
false charges.
"There has to be some method brought forward that ensures a blanket
publication ban is not placed on all cases, while the system also ensures
innocent people do not have their reputations destroyed. This is certainly
not an easy balance and there is no easy solution, however, the status quo
is obviously not working.
"I am calling upon Justice Minister Tom Marshall and his federal and
provincial counterparts to conduct a review of the judicial system in this
province and country. The premise of an accused individual being innocent
until proven guilty has certainly become tainted in the eyes of many. By
bringing together some of the best legal minds in the country to conduct a
review, we may be able to find solutions that could avoid the kind of
circumstance that took place in our court system earlier this week."
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