OPPAL OPTIMISTIC ABOUT COMMUNITY COURTS

Community courts as a new way to deal with property and other repeat
crimes may become the way of the future in British Columbia - if a
Vancouver pilot project works out.

B.C.'s Attorney General, Hon. Wally Oppal was luncheon speaker Friday
at the Northern B.C. 'A Healthier You' Expo and Forum held at the
Civic Centre. The former judge spoke on issues known to be close to
his heart, issues that over the years have fueled both his political
and judicial careers: social justice and community safety.

In particular, Oppal focused on Vancouver's Downtown Community Court
project launched Sept. 10. Although still in its infancy, the
project's early signs of success have made him "optimistic" about its
future.

While the Canadian justice system is widely regarded as one of the
best in the world and globally lauded as open and fair - sometimes
accused of being fair to a fault - there are still flaws, he noted.

"The justice system has not kept pace in dealing with property crime
and violent crime. (Gang related) violent crime is particularly
difficult to solve because they get no help from the victims of those
crimes. Nobody helps the police. The victims don't go to the police to
explain (what happened)."

Property crime can be attributed to about seven per cent of people, he
said.

Repeat offenders often are those addicted to drugs or alcohol, are
mentally ill or homeless - or a combination of all those factors. So
help and treatment plans for perpetrators are key.

"I don't know if we want to go in the direction of the U.S. spending
more money on jails," he said. Rather, the plan should be to stop the
crime before it happens.

"We have to first start treating those people with addictions and with
mental illness."

Treatment plans will be under the supervision of the courts, and they
will be timely. Until now, it wasn't uncommon to have 10 to 12 - even
30 - adjournments before an accused comes to trial, Oppal said.

The new project hopes to address this problem so that treatment is
available soon after an arrest is made - not weeks or months later.

"The public deserves better," Oppal said, explaining why government
came together with other partners to try to solve the problem.

Those in the judicial system, such as judges, lawyers and police, are
used to working independently, he noted.

Vancouver's Downtown Community Court is a unique partnership between
the provincial court of B.C. and justice, social and health services
agencies working together to address crime issues.

Located in the same courthouse: a provincial court judge, program
co-ordinator, crown counsel, defence lawyer, Vancouver police officer,
sheriffs, court clerks, probation officers, forensic liaison workers,
forensic psychiatrist, employment assistance workers, victim services
workers, B.C. Housing support worker and First Nations court worker.

Judge Thomas Gove is the presiding judge and Judge David Pendleton
will also sit.

Oppal summed up, "We don't expect the crime rate to drop overnight -
but I am very optimistic."

What happens if the offender does not want seek or accept treatment?
"If they don't comply, they can be sent to jail. So there's a pretty
heavy hammer."

He called the project something new to try and address the
problem.

"It is really rewarding what we're doing," he said. "It addresses the
root causes of crime so it's a meaningful place to go. It's proactive."

Oppal was born in Vancouver and practiced law there for 14 years. He
was appointed Attorney General and Minister Responsible for
Multiculturalism in 2005.

The 2008 Northern B.C. 'Healthier You' Expo is a Special Events
Creators event hosted by Deputy Premier Shirley Bond and the
Immigration and Multicultural Services Society.