Courts Defy Law

September 26, 2006 permalink

On September 13 Vernon Beck, representing Canada Court Watch, testified before the Standing Committee on Justice Policy of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He addressed the problems:

• Courts keep sound recording devices out of courtrooms, even in cases specifically permitted by law.
• Courts alter the record of proceedings.
• Courts harass persons conducting peaceful demonstations outside their buildings.

Addendum:

expand

collapse

September 26, 2006

Peter Kormos
Member of the Provincial Parliament
Room 115
Main Legislative Building
Toronto Ontario M7A 1A5

pkormos-qp@ndp.on.ca

sent by email and Canada Post

Subject: Anne Marsden

Honorable Mr Kormos:

On September 13 Mr Vernon Beck gave testimony to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy, in which you participated.

Anne Marsden has addressed a letter to you suggesting that Mr Beck improperly revealed the name of Dorian Baxter as a parent involved in a child protection case, and that this statement should be expunged from the record.

The Child and Family Services Act forbids disclosing the name of a parent involved in a child protection case. That law is phrased in the present tense. Had the legislature intended to outlaw discussion of historic cases, it would have said so. Mr Baxter's case ended years ago, and his children are now adults. Mr Baxter has spent over a decade proclaiming his success in suing the Children's Aid Society of Durham, so Mr Beck's disclosure is nothing new.

I respectfully suggest that you treat the testimony of Mr Beck as proper, and that you leave the record in the Hansard unchanged.

Yours truly,

Robert T McQuaid
558 McMartin Road
Mattawa Ontario P0H 1V0

phone: 705-744-6274
email: rtmq@rtmq.net

Addendum: On March 5, 2007, a reorganization removed the testimony of Vernon Beck from the web. link to a private copy.