Dear Editor:
As a retired member of the RCMP since 1975 I must congratulate your editorial on court procedures for drunk driving that appeared in the January 27th edition.
My services in the force included three Musical Rides, detachment duty on Vancouver Island and nine years as liaison officer in Austria, Israel and Switzerland.
I was thus able to see how other countries administered justice. I was particularly impressed with the Swiss system, which was based on the Napoleonic Code. An investigational judge was in charge of serious criminal cases so few were dismissed for technical errors.
During my career, I was appalled to see cases of drunk driving dismissed on technical grounds, and later the same driver would commit the same offence, killing or injuring innocent persons. Where is the justice?
I always thought justice was served in the courthouse. However, I was recently involved in a civil case in the B.C. Supreme Court where a lawyer stated to me that they were not there for justice, but only to do the best for their client. If it takes a technical error to get a case dismissed, so be it.
In some jurisdictions in the U.S. the judge can rule that some mistakes are harmless errors and proceed with the case.
I hope that the legal experts remedy this situation so that this injustice does not occur any longer.
John R. Ginter, B. Comm. CFE.
Radium
