EL-CHANTIRY RIGHT TO CLARIFY POLICE CHIEF'S REMARKS

Re: Marijuana remarks put White on hot seat, April 27. Councillor Eli
El-Chantiry, chairman of Ottawa's police services board, is
absolutely correct saying that the "police in this country don't make
the laws, police enforce law."

It is also equally important to point out that under our justice
system that it's the role of the courts and not the police to
determine the guilt or innocence of a person accused of a crime.

When the media report that someone has been charged by the police
with a criminal offence, too often members of the public erroneously
believe that the person must be guilty or they would not have been
charged by the police.

However, the doctrine of the presumption of innocence is the
cornerstone of our criminal justice system.

The number of Canadians charged by police and subsequently acquitted
by the courts should be sufficient reason to never forget the vital
distinction that exists between those who make the law (legislators),
those who interpret and apply the law (courts) and the police who
sole responsibility is law enforcement.

As police administrators occupy positions of high visibility in our
community any comments they make attract widespread publicity.

While I have no doubt that Chief White did not intend to usurp the
functions of our policy makers and parliamentarians with his comments
about the decriminalization of marijuana, El-Chantiry as the chairman
of the police board was on sound footing by clarifying the issue in
the public domain.

Darryl T. Davies,

Ottawa

Professor of criminology and criminal justice,

Carleton University