Justice Unseen

Lord Hewart said of justice that " (it) is of fundamental importance that justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done." While it mostly refers to the process as being viewed as being fair and equal to all parties, it also has to be an open system where the public can view the results and be satisfied that justice was indeed carried out. Such no longer seems to be the case in Brantford. While court proceeding for the most part are still open to the public, few are able to attend court themselves to view the process and therefore must rely on the public media to report the results. But, this no longer happens in Brantford. The local media no longer reports on the goings on in court unless it is a sensational trial like a murder case.

Are cases still being thrown out because of delays in coming to trial? Are criminals receiving sentences that reflect the mood of the public? Do serious crimes such as abuse, assault and drug trafficking receive stiff jail sentences or are they placed under house arrest or given just probation? Can sentences be a deterrent to crime if they are unknown? And how can someone be made an example of, as a warning to others, when that example goes unreported?

I would have thought that with the added pressure of a new weekly competitor the Expositor would have stepped up it's local coverage instead of relying more and more on Sun Media for content. And wouldn't this be a perfect opportunity for the Brant News to pick up the slack with a brief summary of convictions and sentences weekly?

I have heard that someone has been looking into posting such a summary online (maybe with a pay site or paid advertising they can make crime pay), but until this actually happens, if it ever does, justice may be done in Brantford but few outside of the courtroom will see the results.