Is the Presumption of Innocence Under Attack?

AuthorMatthew R Gourlay
Pages447-463

IsthePresumptionofInnocence
UnderAack
MahewRGourlay*
ThetitleofthischapterposesaquestionSincethisisnotintendedto
beasuspensenovelIwillgoaheadandansweritrightothetopThe
answertothequestionisyes
Butthisisalsotruethepresumptionofinnocenceisalmostalways
underaackAndthatisunlikelytochangeWhatvariesovertime
andwhatreallymaersisourresolvetodefendit
Myv iewis t hat wei n the legal community are well eq uipped to
resist direct challenges to the presumption of innoc ence that come in
theformoflegislationreverseonusesrequirementsfordefencedisclo
sureevidentiaryshortcutstobenettheCrownandsoonThesehave
allbeentriedatdierenttimesbydierentgovernmentsandmanyof
themcertainlythemostegregiousamongthemhavebeenbeaten
backbyCharterchallengesinthecourtsThedoctrineowingfromsec
tionsandoftheCharterthemostimportantfairtrialprotections
isrobustIamoptimisticthatitwillcontinuetobeequaltothetask
I believe that the more insidious challenges to t he presumption
of innocence do not necessarily cr ystallize in legislation They come
from civil society a nd are more concerned with changing aitudes
thanchangingthelawThesloganbelievethevictimisthemostre
centmanifestationofthisphenomenonTherehavebeenmanyothers
throughout Canadian history as dierent perceived threats captu red
the public imagination and dierent moral panics h ave taken hold
 PartnerHeneinHutchisonLLP
MRG
Althoughthepresumptionofinnocencetodayenjoysenoughcultural
prestigetobemostlysafefromexplicitrepudiationtheextenttowhich
itretainsitsintegrityasagenuinebulwarkagainstwrongfulconviction
isreallyuptous
ATHEGOLDENTHREADANDTHE
BLACKSTONE FORMULA
The presumption of innocence ca ntreally be considered in isolation
fromtheothercoreprotectionsgrantedbyCanadianlawtoanaccused
Afterallthepresumptionwouldntmeanmuchifitwereaccompanied
byaburdenofproofsetonlyatabalanceofprobabilitiesInthatscen
ariojustaboutanyevidencefromtheCrownmightbesucienttomove
thescalepastthepercentmarkandcastafunctionalburdenofprov
inginnocencebackontotheaccusedSoIagreewithDicksonCJthat
ThepresumptionofinnocencehasatleastthreecomponentsFirstan
individualmustbeprovenguiltybeyondareasonabledoubtSecond
theCrownmustbeartheonusofproofThirdcriminalprosecutions
mustbecarriedoutinaccordancewithlawfulproceduresandprin
ciplesoffairness
ThesestrandscombinetoproducewhatLordSankeyinWoolmington v
Director of Public ProsecutionsfamouslycalledthegoldenthreadofEng
lishcriminallawWhenIusethetermpresumptionofinnocenceI
willbereferringtothiswholepackage
ThemainrationaleusuallygivenforfosteringLordSankeysgolden
threadissomeversionofBlackstonesdictumthatitisbeerthat
ten guilty person s escape than that one innocent suer The precise
numericalquanticationofthisratiohaslongbeenamaerofdebate
whynottwentyorahundredButregardlesstheunderlyingtheory
thatwecalibratethesystemtoerrintheaccusedsfavourisboththe
 R v WhyteSCRatpara
 ACatHL
 WilliamBlackstoneCommentaries on the Laws of EnglandBookIVch
 ApparentlyBenjaminFranklinthoughttheappropriateratiowasonehundredto
onewhilethedistinguishedjudgeHenryFriendlycagilyproposedthatitisbeer
toallowaconside rable numberofguiltypersonstogofreethantoconvictany ap precia-
ble numberofinnocentmenBotharequotedinanentertainingarticlebyAlexander
VolokhnGuiltyMenUniversity of Pennsylvania Law Revie w

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