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> The Truscott Case in Canada |
The Steven Truscott Case
By Jay Makarenko
Steven Truscott was convicted of murdering Lynne Harper in 1959.
He spent ten years in prison for a crime he has always claimed
he did not commit. Since his trial and conviction, there have
been lingering questions about the justice system, the fairness
of his trial, and the whole issue of wrongful conviction.
After many years, renewed interest in the Truscott case came about
in 2000, thanks to a documentary broadcast on the CBC television
program the fifth estate. Not long after that broadcast,
in 2001, Steven Truscott filed an application for a retrial with
the federal government. Recently, in October 2004, Irwin Cotler,
the federal Minister of Justice, found there was sufficient cause
to order a retrial; Truscott was granted leave to appeal his
conviction to the Ontario Court of Appeal.
This Spotlight examines the Truscott case in depth, and also explores
Canada’s conviction review process. Specific topics include:
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- An history of the Truscott case, Truscott’s trial
and conviction, his life in prison and on parole, as well
as his appeals.
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- An overview of the legislation governing convictions, and
the procedures by which potentially wrongful convictions
are reviewed in Canada.
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- An overview of recent events pertaining to the Truscott
case, including Truscott’s application for retrial
and the recent decision by the federal Minister of Justice.
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- A discussion concerning the issue of wrongful convictions, including
an examination of other cases in recent history.
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- A list of relevant links, both to articles here at MapleLeafWeb.com
and external sites with further information.
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