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Legal experts ask Ford government to respect 'presumption of innocence' in bail reform

Ontario will hold hearings this week on the subject.

Published Jan 30, 2023 at 8:37pm

Jack Hauen
By
Jack Hauen
Legal experts ask Ford government to respect 'presumption of innocence' in bail reform

Some legal groups are warning the Ontario government not to go too far in its quest to reform the province's bail system.

"We remind your committee that an effective bail system is one which respects the presumption of innocence and the Charter right to reasonable bail," wrote the Federation of Ontario Law Associations (FOLA) in a letter to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy, which is set to hold hearings on the issue this week.

"Courts at all levels have repeatedly made decisions which underscore these requirements. Ontario’s courts are subject to binding appellate jurisprudence on the considerations made during a bail hearing," FOLA's chair, Douglas Judson, wrote in the letter.

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