CALGARY—Legal experts say proposed changes to the Criminal Code after a high-profile acquittal in the fatal shooting of an Indigenous man are short-sighted. Key changes in a federal bill, which has passed third reading, involve peremptory challenges during jury selection and use of preliminary inquiries. Peremptory challenges allow lawyers to remove a potential juror without giving reasons. “I can’t imagine anything less helpful in jury selection to both sides than to have no peremptory challenges. “Those names are obvious, so let’s get the jurors that are their peers.” The proposed legislation would also restrict preliminary inquiries only to offences that carry life imprisonment.

Source: thestar December 30, 2018 16:52 UTC