Sometimes Justice Means No Justice For All

The reaction is to the think police dropped the ball

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2009/07/21/10203966-sun.html

but there is nothing to suggest that they are not doing the very best job they can do in a difficult situation.

Though I am really not intending to borrow a rather apt concept from TV's Law and Order, I do think it is worth saying that our justice system is composed of a number of distinct, yet equally important groups. The police, crown, defence lawyers, judges and witnesses are important players responsible for ensuring justice is done. At the first stage of any criminal proceeding are police - whose important responsibility is to fully investigate allegations of criminal wrongdoing. A full, fair and complete investigation should always leave them with reasonable grounds to believe they have the right person. Investigating crime is hard, painstaking work. It requires diligence, perserverence and ingenuity. Unfortunately, in a country with over 30 million people, sometimes even the best police work does not get the man.

I have no comment on the quality of the police investigation in the Banff attacks. All I can say is, sometimes doing things right means getting nobody all....

Thankfully, I think it is fair to say that police get it right most of the time. And most of the time, they get their man (or woman, as the case may be)....

David G. Chow
Criminal Defence Lawyer

http://www.calgarydefence.com/