TORONTO — Crown attorneys are being told that bail considerations should start with the least restrictive form of release, as Ontario tries to cut court backlogs and reduce the number of legally innocent people in custody. It also comes in the wake of another Supreme Court case that set out approaches to bail. Many people end up in remand because they don’t have the social or financial supports to get bail, Naqvi said. “Together they allow Crowns to recommend less restrictive bail conditions with the knowledge that accused are still being supervised and that our commitment to public safety is still being maintained,” Naqvi said. The current policy, dating back to 2005, emphasizes protecting public safety and refers to cases in which people on bail committed murder-suicides.

Source: National Post October 30, 2017 20:32 UTC