Alberta Bail Review: Endorsing a Call for Change Nancy L. Irving Barrister & Solicitor 2 / 2 9 / 2 0 1 6 Table of Contents PART 1: Introduction and background ..................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 1 The Review in context ............................................................................................................................... 2 Background ............................................................................................................................................... 3 Independence of Review ........................................................................................................................... 4 Terms of Reference ................................................................................................................................... 4 Organization and conduct of the Review ................................................................................................... 5 PART 2: Principal findings and recommendations ................................................................................. 6 a. Who should conduct bail hearings and in what circumstances ............................................................ 6 1. Who should present at bail hearings ................................................................................................ 6 2. Who should preside at bail hearings ................................................................................................. 8 3. In what forum should bail hearings take place.................................................................................. 9 b. How best to utilize section 524 of the Criminal Code ......................................................................... 10 c. What information should be provided in bail packages and how best to ensure the accuracy and availability of that information ................................................................................. 11 d. How the PPOP and HOM programs can be utilized effectively to ensure accurate information is available during bail proceedings ................................................................................. 12 e. The coordination of bail proceedings between offices of the ACPS and with offices of the PPSC, and other areas related to the conduct of bail hearings that are appropriate ............... 13 PART 3: The foundation and law of bail ................................................................................................. 14 Presumption of innocence and protection of personal liberty ................................................................. 14 The law of bail ......................................................................................................................................... 15 PART 4: Alberta’s administration of judicial interim release ............................................................... 19 PART 5: Addressing the Terms of Reference ........................................................................................ 21 a. Who should conduct bail hearings and in what circumstances .......................................................... 21 1. Who should present at bail hearings ............................................................................................. 21 1.1 Can police be ‘prosecutors’? ................................................................................................... 21 1.2 The Review’s analysis ............................................................................................................ 22 1.3 Who should present—Stakeholder input ................................................................................ 24 1.4 On the other hand…................................................................................................................ 36 1.5 Hybrid models ......................................................................................................................... 39 2. Who should preside at bail hearings .............................................................................................. 40 2.1 Education and experience ...................................................................................................... 42 2.2 Roles in the criminal justice system ........................................................................................ 43 2.3 Stakeholder input .................................................................................................................... 44 2.4 Specialization .......................................................................................................................... 45 2.5 Reliance on part time JPs ....................................................................................................... 46 2.6 JPs or judges: who do accused prefer? .................................................................................. 46 3. In what forum should bail hearings take place?............................................................................. 47 3.1 Court versus Hearing Office .................................................................................................... 48 3.2 Stakeholder input .................................................................................................................... 49 3.3 Waiting times ........................................................................................................................... 49 3.4 Video bail and tele-bail ............................................................................................................ 50 3.5 24/7, 365 ................................................................................................................................. 52 3.6 Access to duty counsel ........................................................................................................... 53 3.7 Transparency and the open court principle ............................................................................ 54 3.8 Regional Exceptions ............................................................................................................... 56 b. How best to utilize section 524 of the Criminal Code ......................................................................... 58 1. The Bail Revocation Process ......................................................................................................... 59 1.1 When the accused is arrested on new charges ...................................................................... 59 1.2 The use of s. 524 in Alberta .................................................................................................... 60 1.3 Why s. 524 is not used more frequently.................................................................................. 60 1.4 Access to and transfer of documents ...................................................................................... 61 1.5 No Provincial Court venue for s. 524 revocation in some regions .......................................... 62 c. What information should be provided in bail packages prepared by policing agencies, and how best to ensure the information’s accuracy and availability? ................................................. 64 1. How bail packages are used .......................................................................................................... 64 1.1 JP’s advance receipt of bail packages .................................................................................... 65 1.2 Lack of Disclosure ................................................................................................................... 65 2. Information that should be provided in bail packages prepared by police agencies ..................... 66 3. Information accuracy and availability ............................................................................................. 66 3.1 JOIN checks ............................................................................................................................ 68 d. How the PPOP and HOM programs can be utilized effectively to ensure accurate information is available during bail proceedings ................................................................................. 68 The Priority Prolific Offender Program (PPOP) .................................................................................. 68 The Habitual Offender Management (HOM) Program ........................................................................ 69 Stakeholder Input ................................................................................................................................ 70 e. Coordination of bail proceedings between offices of the ACPS and with offices of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) ........................................................................ 70 Coordination between offices of the ACPS ......................................................................................... 70 Coordination between offices of the provincial Crown (ACPS) and the federal Crown (PPSC) ........ 71 “Other areas related to the conduct of bail hearings that are appropriate” ......................................... 71 Appendix A – Institutional Stakeholders .................................................................................................