Quote:
Originally Posted by cal_guy
I think some context is needed here. In May the Alberta Court of Appeal overturned parts that required that anyone charged with impaired driving have their license suspended until the conclusion of the case. This meant that many people who fought and won their cases would be punished for a longer period of time than those who plied guilty. The changes mean that most cases of impaired driving are dealt as a regulatory action. This mean that appeals and disputes must go through a non-judicial board, and only after exhausting all options are you allowed to apply for judicial review.
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That sounds to me like it will take longer...
If police officers can hand out significant punishment without any court oversight, that is a serious problem, and something that our society shouldn't allow.
If you want to decriminalize it fine, have a ticket that an officer gives out, and you get a date to either plead guilty or show up to an administrative type court (like traffic court). Streamlining the process makes sense, taking away the presumption of innocence, not so much.