Community News

TRUST IS VITAL TO A HEALTHY JUSTICE SYSTEM IN PARRY SOUND

OUR REPORTER SITS IN COURT FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS

SARAH BISSONETTE Sarah Bissonette has been reporting for this newspaper for 20 years. We welcome your questions and value your comments. Email our trust committee at trust@metroland.com.

It's about trust. Our relationship with our readers is built on transparency, honesty and integrity. As such, we have launched a trust initiative to tell you who we are and how and why we do what we do. This column is part of that project.

Do we, or do we not, name those charged by police or before the court, but not yet tried?

It's a topic of much debate in our newsroom and a decision never taken lightly.We know the public naming of an accused person can have long-standing consequences in an age when an online search can dredge up a charge, possibly withdrawn, from years prior.

But we weigh that with the public's right to know the justice system is enforcing the laws and dispensing the sentences our society has set out.

Newsrooms cover the justice system just as they report on other public institutions, such as federal, provincial and municipal governments, to help keep the community informed.

An informed community that has the ability to effect change as needed creates trust — a fundamental feature of a democracy.

Too much done behind closed doors and without the mechanism for change and the public loses trust in the system.

There are already cases when police don't name the accused to protect the victim, such as if the victim is a domestic partner or a child closely connected to them.

And the courts impose publication bans on identifying a victim, which sometimes means the accused can't be named for the same reason.

We have historically published all reports sent to us by the West Parry Sound OPP that name the person accused.

We will continue to reprint many of these releases but with a greater intention to see the case through court and report the outcome.

In particular, we will highlight police reports that give readers news they need on dangerous situations, current crimes affecting a lot of people, murder, robberies, child pornography or abuse, highprofile cases and drug trafficking.

We believe having a presence in court serves to monitor the justice process, and once someone has been convicted, it makes sense for us to inform the community about who has been found guilty.

We will look to trends in crimes like impaired driving, drug possession and theft, reporting on the causes of the crimes and possible solutions for Parry Sound.

NEWS

en-ca

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281586654204871

Metroland Media Group Ltd.