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Crown attorney independence and victims’ rights

By James A. Gumpert October 25, 2013 25 October 2013

Among the measures promised in last week’s throne speech is a new victims’ bill of rights. The impetus behind it is a desire to create minimum standards of rights for victims, which would be applicable across Canada.

Crown attorneys are very aware of the importance of giving proper respect to victims. Moreover, they strive to keep victims notified and informed about matters that affect their cases. They do this to the best of their ability, considering the limited resources that prosecution services have. Information is often provided to complainants/victims in conjunction with police and victims services divisions.

However, at least three areas must be remembered in the course of any discussion of a creation of a victim’s bill of rights:

(More after the jump)