For Victims
Minister of Justice appoints new Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime
21 June 2010 - The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced that Sue O’Sullivan has been appointed to the position of Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime.
Canada’s new Federal Ombudsman is Ottawa Police Deputy Chief Sue O’Sullivan - a well known leader in the police community. Read her bio here.
In 2007, the Government of Canada created the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime to serve as an independent resource for victims in Canada. The Ombudsman’s role is to ensure the federal government meets its commitments; to promote access to existing government programs and services; and to identify and explore systemic and emerging victim issues. The Office operates at arm’s length from the federal departments responsible for victim issues, namely the Department of Justice and the Department of Public Safety. The provinces and territories continue to be the primary providers of victim services.
This appointment is effective August 16th, 2010. For more information on the Federal Ombudsman of Victims of Crime, please visit http://www.victimsfirst.gc.ca/
Air India families find no closure in report
Thursday, June 17, 2010
CBC News
There will never be closure on the 1985 Air India bombings, despite the release of a long-awaited report on the matter, relatives of the victims say.
“I think closure is a word that continues to haunt us,” said Lata Pada, whose two teen daughters and husband perished in the bombings. “We can never have closure from a tragedy of this enormous devastation.
“What we can have is the satisfaction that we’ve come to a point where an inquiry has actually happened and an extensive report with recommendations has actually become a reality.”
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa on Thursday, family members said the inquiry into federal mismanagement of the investigation of the bombings answers many of their concerns and confirms it was not an accident that their loved ones died.
“I think the report addresses most of the concerns that the families raised. … It confirms what families suspected when asking for the inquiry: that it was not a sheer accident, that it was a compounding of mistake after mistake after mistake,” said Bal Gupta, who lost his wife in the bombings.
The report and the government’s acknowledgement of the tragedy has been a long time coming, added Gupta.
“We were not allowed to meet any government minister for almost 10 years,” he said. “The first time we met with the government was in 1995. … We were treated like trouble-makers.”
The report will have international implications, said Pada.
“For over two decades, Canada was seen as a country that harbours terrorism, is soft on terrorism. I think this report and the strong recommendations it makes is going to prove that Canada is going to continue to be as vigilant as it can be against ongoing acts of terrorism.”
The commission of inquiry was created in May 2006. In his report released earlier Thursday, retired Supreme Court justice John Major blamed a “cascading series of errors” by government, the RCMP and the country’s spy agency for failing to prevent the disaster.
Major called for sweeping changes to Canada’s national security system, including an enhanced role for the national security adviser to oversee and mediate between the RCMP and CSIS and report directly to the prime minister.
If the government implements the recommendations, Canada will be a much safer place,” Gupta said.
In responding the report, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said the government is “very committed” to implementing the recommendations.
“And if there is no good reason to implement a recommendation, that would have to be carefully explained to the Canadian people and specifically the victims.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the report a “damning indictment of many things that occurred before and after the tragedy” which the government is “determined to avoid in the future.”
Harper said the government takes Major’s report “very seriously” and will “respond positively” to his recommendations for an apology and compensation for families.
Harper said the inquiry was called “to bring closure to those who still grieve and to ensure that measures are taken to prevent such a tragedy in the future.”
“We thank Commissioner Major for his work and once again extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends for the loved ones they lost,” Harper said. “Our thoughts are with them on this day.”
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff spoke of the “tremendous burden” on families of the victims and said he hoped Major’s report would give them “some measure of closure.”
“As a Canadian, my hope is some of that burden will be lifted,” Ignatieff told reporters in Ottawa.
CRCVC pleased by government’s proposed reforms to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act
15 June 2010 - The Government today introduced legislation, Bill C-39, to take action on the recommendations contained in the report, titled A Roadmap to Strengthening Public Safety, which is a new vision for federal corrections. The proposed legislation includes the following key reforms:
■eliminating the practice of granting early parole;
■enshrining victims participation in conditional release board hearings, and keeping victims better informed about the behaviour and handling of offenders;
■increasing offender accountability;
■authorizing police to arrest of an offender breaking their release conditions without the need for a warrant; and
■emphasizing the importance of taking into consideration the seriousness of an offence in National Parole Board decision-making.
These changes will ensure the “protection of society” becomes the paramount principle of corrections and conditional release.
The CRCVC is particularly pleased by the proposed changes enshrining the rights of victims and providing them with more information about the offender who harmed them.
Better Support for Victims of Crime
Enshrining in law, a victim’s right to participate in parole board hearings.
Although the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) clearly recognizes the interests of victims of crime and the role they play in the correctional and conditional release process, victims and victims’ advocates have voiced dissatisfaction with the current provisions and have called for enhancements. Therefore, a victim’s right to attend and make statements at National Parole Board hearings will be enshrined in law.
Additionally, the CCRA will be amended to expand the information that may be disclosed to victims by CSC and the National Parole Board (NPB). This includes:
■providing information on the reason(s) for offender transfers with, whenever possible, advance notice of transfers to minimum security institutions;
■disclosing information on offender program participation and any convictions for serious disciplinary offences;
■sharing the reasons for a temporary absence from a correctional facility; and
■providing guardians/caregivers of dependents of victims who are deceased, ill or otherwise incapacitated with the same information that victims themselves can receive.
When offenders withdraw their participation 14 days or less before a parole hearing date, the Board may still proceed with a review and decision. This ensures that victims will no longer travel long distances to attend a parole hearing which is then cancelled at the last minute. Victims will also be able to request information on the reasons for a waiver of a parole hearing.
In addition to the proposed reforms to maximize the knowledge available to victims of crime, a National Advisory Committee on Victims Issues co-chaired by the Departments of Justice and Public Safety has been created. This committee gives victims the opportunity to provide input into policies and procedures that impact victims and victims’ services.
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