Shocking confession on witness stand

By: Law is Cool · November 5, 2009 · Filed Under Criminal Law · Add Comment 

Ex-boyfriend confesses to child’s murder

Peter Small writes for the Toronto Star:

In a scene worthy of movie-of-the-week witness box confessions, the former boyfriend of a woman charged with fatally beating her 2-year-old daughter testified Wednesday he was the killer.

His testimony cannot be used “against him in other proceedings except prosecutions for perjury or giving contradictory evidence.”

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The privacy of police officers on the witness stand

By: Pulat Yunusov · July 5, 2009 · Filed Under Criminal Law, Privacy · Add Comment 

If a police officer is a witness in court, can the defence lawyer bring up his disciplinary record? Police forces across the country don’t like this idea at all, fearing that the cop’s integrity will end up on trial (Edmonton Sun article).

I was in a bail hearing on Friday. A proposed surety took the stand. He is apparently a respected member of his community, a hard-working man, and a father. What did the Crown do during the cross-exam? They pulled out his criminal record. The man had been long pardoned, and the other charge had been dropped. It still came up though, and the Crown had easy access to this information.

I guess no privacy issues came up because he is an ordinary citizen. But it was certainly awkward.

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