The Criminal Record of the Accused and the Mind of the Reasonable Juror
Having a criminal record is inherently prejudicial to any Canadian. A criminal record impacts a person’s ability to obtain certain types of employment, affects their ability to interact with certain members of society, and carries with it a stigma that follows most individuals for the rest of their lives. In considering the burden a criminal record places on an individual’s daily life, it is important to consider the impact it could have on a person’s liberty.
R v Webbe-Wong: A Reminder of the Frailties of Cross-Racial Identification Evidence
On its own merits, eyewitness evidence is problematic and poses challenges to the truth-finding function of Canada’s legal system. Every individual, and thus every eyewitness, is affected by biases and prejudices that can make it more difficult to assess who or what was seen at the time a crime took place. This paper will explain that reliability issues with eyewitness testimony are aggravated by cross-racial bias.
