OTTAWA, Oct. 26, 2017 /CNW/ - In light of comments made in the press regarding the recent prosecution of Patricia Sorbara and Gerald Lougheed Jr. under the Ontario Election Act, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada would like to clarify its decision-making process.
When deciding whether to initiate and conduct a prosecution, PPSC prosecutors are guided by the decision to prosecute test set out in the PPSC Deskbook, a publically-available document. Crown counsel must consider two issues: is there is a reasonable prospect of conviction based on evidence that is likely to be available at trial? If there is, would a prosecution best serve the public interest? If the answer to both questions is yes, the decision to prosecute test is met.
The PPSC applies the test in a non-partisan fashion.
The Public Prosecution Service of Canada is an independent and non-partisan prosecution authority, responsible for prosecuting offences in a manner that is free of any improper influence and that respects the public interest.
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SOURCE Public Prosecution Service Canada
Media Relations, 613-954-7803, [email protected]
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