CAUCHON SLAMS DOOR ON LEGALIZED POT - BUT SAYS DRUG LAWS DESERVE CLOSER LOOK

The federal justice minister addressed corporate accountability and slammed
the door on legalizing marijuana during a wide-ranging address to the
Canadian Bar Association annual meeting yesterday.

'Canada has no plans to legalize marijuana,' Martin Cauchon said during his
address in this southwestern Ontario city. 'I believe endorsing marijuana
use might inflict harm on society and lead to greater problems.'

But Cauchon said the country's drug laws deserve a closer look, and he
didn't rule out decriminalizing marijuana. 'I believe it's time for an open
discussion about modernizing the criminal justice system in this regard.'

Many of Cauchon's Montreal constituents have told him simple possession
should not lead to a criminal record, which denies access across borders
and makes it hard to find a job, he said.

That issue will be part of a wide-ranging roundtable discussion Cauchon
plans this fall as 'a stock-taking' of Canada's criminal laws.

He also addressed the recent corporate accounting scandals in American
companies Enron and WorldCom that sent shockwaves through the investment
community.

He said his government will consider legislation if needed, but he stressed
such corporate meltdowns have not happened here.

But after Cauchon raised the issue yesterday, the Canadian Alliance quickly
pounced on issues of credibility in the Liberal government.

In a release, Canadian Alliance MP Vic Toews pointed out the scandals in
the United States came at the same time as questions about several Liberal
ad contracts.

'Instead of pointing fingers at the private sector, the justice minister
and the Liberal government should be trying to set the example and should
be rooting out the corruption in their own ranks,' said Toews, the
Alliance's justice critic.

A number of deals under a federal sponsorship program--in which Ottawa used
Liberal-friendly communications firms as middle men to buy federal ad space
at trade shows and sports and cultural events--have been found suspect.

Cauchon said he also wants cabinet to discuss family law reform in hopes of
improving access to service to 'minimize the damage caused by separation
and divorce.'

He said the adversarial terms 'custody' and 'access' will be eliminated
from divorce laws in legislation to be introduced this fall because the
words create a 'perception' of winners and losers.

His changes to the Divorce Act will be coupled with increased counselling
and mediation for divorcing parents that will focus on the best interests
of their children.

'I want to focus more on services,' said Cauchon, whose proposals are
intended to walk a fine line between the competing interests of mothers and
fathers.