Canada, New police act limits misconduct complaints: lawyer

OFF THE WIRE
Source: cbc.ca
Lawyer Tom Engel, says Bill 27 protects police from public complaints of misbehaviour,And new legislation will limit complaints of police misconduct.

Fewer police will be prosecuted for misconduct if the province passes Bill 27 now before the legislature, warns Edmonton lawyer Tom Engel.
"This is a very transparent attack on the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association bringing complaints," he said.
The association regularly files complaints of police misconduct on the public's behalf.
Engel said if the bill passes, officers who breach the police Act will go unpunished.
Under the Police Ammendment Act, only those directly affected would be able to lay a complaint.
Engel says the changes are a step backwards.
“They need to know that they've really made some changes which as I say are regressive and against the public interest.”
Solicitor general Frank Oberle said the proposed legislation is mere housekeeping legislation aimed at making the process of laying complaints about police conduct more timely and responsive.
"I think overall the changes are more housekeeping. We just want to make sure the process is kept on track and it's seen to be transparent."
But Engel is adamant the solicitor general is making the changes to protect police, instead of the general public.
"For him to call it housekeeping is just misleading the public."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2010/11/05/edmonton-police-ammendment-act.html#ixzz14WXa553H