Winnipeg Free Press By: Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press Posted:
Last Modified: 1:43 PM CDT Friday, Apr. 30, 2021 Save to Read Later
OTTAWA - The Supreme Court of Canada has ended a bid by Toronto police members to sue over the actions of Crown prosecutors that the officers say damaged their reputations.
Clouds pass by the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa, Friday, June 12, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
OTTAWA - The Supreme Court of Canada has ended a bid by Toronto police members to sue over the actions of Crown prosecutors that the officers say damaged their reputations.
In its 8-1 decision Friday, the high court stressed the importance of prosecutorial independence and objectivity in ensuring the integrity of the justice system.
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iPolitics By Leslie MacKinnon. Published on Apr 30, 2021 12:24pm The Supreme Court of Canada (Matthew Usherwood/iPolitics)
Police who feel their reputations were damaged during a criminal trial can’t sue Crown prosecutors for what is known as misfeasance, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday in a decision that preserves Crown immunity from civil liability.
The case arose when three Toronto police officers sued the Ontario Crown prosecutors’ office after two different judges concluded they had conducted themselves reprehensibly in a manner akin to torture when they allegedly assaulted two accused men.
The officers weren’t charged for assault, and weren’t fired or suspended from their jobs, but claim their reputations were damaged and they experienced psychological harm in the aftermath of the arrest of two men charged with robbery. In a civil lawsuit against the Ontario Crown, they sought $1.5 million in damages.
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