Is the Presumption of Innocence Under Attack?

• Author: Matthew R Gourlay
• Pages: 447-463



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