Inspiring: “Justice may be malleable, even elusive, but always believe it is attainable, transformative, and powerful. It is always worth pursuing.”- Judge Reeves, a judge on the US District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. #RebLaw2020
Are there any Ontario Conservatives left?
-Daily safe consumption site use: $1560/month
-Supportive housing: $4000/month
-Shelter bed: $6000/month
-Jail: $15,000/month
-Hospital bed: $60,000/month 👇👇👇
Arresting drug users is the most wasteful and ineffective policy I've ever heard of. What then? Put them in jail? And at what incredible cost to taxpayers? That's why I ask - are there any fiscal Conservatives left in Ontario? From a cost measure alone - this policy is incredibly useless.
The next point is it's stupid policy from a medical point of view to criminalize drug use. These extremely vulnerable and unfortunate people need a safe place to use their drugs without dying and which also provides comprehensive social services and a pathway to total abstinence. They need shelter.
The irony is it was Ontario with a total lack of insight that closed most of our safe consumption sites. And look what happened. Ontario made everywhere a safe consumption site. Ontario pushed the problem out of safe consumption sites to the streets, the TTC, the parks and Tim Hortons. The problem is Ontario policy. They created this problem. They own it.
Let's see what going to happen if we arrest someone for drug use in the TTC. In jail, they're going to go into withdrawal. Then EMS is called. They go to the ER. We reverse the withdrawal and potentially this needs an expensive admission to hospital. The admission is successful, the patient is discharged back to the street and then they get arrested again. No one benefited. We wasted a ton of money.
It's profoundly stupid to fine these people $10,000. In my experience, they have little more than the clothes on their back. Six months in jail is going to cost the taxpayer dearly. Safe consumption sites, supportive housing, rehab, a shelter bed - all this would be way less expensive.
And you don't need to be a doctor to say a different policy would be more humane, something in very short supply in 2026.
@lanesharrison@DianaCMcNally @drandrewb @NEWSTALK1010@MooreintheAM
https://t.co/1sOGhJhwIk
Maybe I need to say this louder for people in the back: if you are going to oppose so many people's release on bail, you had better properly staff bail courts accordingly.
The 2025 @ClaOntario G. Arthur Martin Criminal Justice Medal awarded to Michael D. Edelson C.S.
The Martin Medal, presented annually since 1989, recognizes outstanding, lifetime contributions to criminal justice and is named after G. Arthur Martin, who was Canada’s greatest criminal advocate before becoming a leading jurist with the Ontario Court of Appeal. Michael D. Edelson C.S. will receive the Medal at a special awards luncheon on November 22, 2025 in Toronto.
Read more: https://t.co/lTqP1VlyOA
Friendly reminder: as lawyers we have an obligation to uphold the rule of law. Tweeting things that undermine that - for example, things that undermine the presumption of innocence - runs contrary to that obligation.
Her Excellency the @GGCanada has granted Royal Assent to Bill #C40, which will take effect once the @HoCChamber has been advised: https://t.co/vGzR7RChnL
#SenCA#CdnPoli
The best reporting on criminal justice comes from lawyers in the system. Don’t expect much from actual journalists beyond fear mongering and mindless recitation of talking points. The bail system is broken, just not in the way it’s being usually presented. https://t.co/zWeCjsOnx8
(1/13) Today, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announced the following judicial appointments in the province of Ontario. https://t.co/vcHK0WJXKu