December 18, 1999
Top judge's last ruling warns cops
Canada's retiring top judge says the country's police forces have come a long way over the last four decades, but warned to beware of reverting to their old "bad habits." Chief Justice Antonio Lamer said yesterday one his objectives as a judge was to keep Canada's police forces on the straight and narrow. "Let they not fall back into the bad habits that I had occasion to witness ... during the late '50s and '60s," he said. The Canadian Police Association executive director David Griffins said Lamer's comments are "indicative" of the court's attitude. "I think the Supreme Court has gone out of its way in the last decade to put as many constraints on the police as they can," he said. "We see people with a strong case against them yet despite all the other evidence because of a technicality the entire case is thrown out. So, if that was his objective going in he's been quite successful." Among Lamer's achievements during his 20 years on the top court -- the last 10 as chief justice -- is bringing the court into the computer age and dramatically cutting the length of time it takes to hear and rule on cases. He's also considered a champion of minority rights. Justice Beverly McLachlin takes over the chief justice duties Jan. 7. Next Story: MPP tried to hide charges
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