Systemic Failures in the Canadian and Manitoban Bail Systems
There are systemic issues in the Canadian bail system that need to be addressed. Although the courts maintain that “the release of accused persons is the cardinal rule and detention, the exception”[1], on an average day 62% of adults in provincial or territorial custody are in remand, not sentenced custody. Manitoba has the second highest proportion of adults in custody in remand at 69%.This high proportion of detainees who are presumed innocent suggests a fundamental problem
Buried by Bail
A recent Manitoba Court decision sheds light on the bail system in northern Manitoba. It is not a pretty picture. At best you could view the situation at hand as the result of limited resources, issues regarding accessibility in isolated northern communities, and procedural disfunction. At its worst, it is the systematic reduction of human rights.
