From: Christopher Rath < >
Sent: 13 December, 2008 20:44
To: BC Attorney General <AG.Minister@gov.bc.ca>
CC: Auditor General of Canada <Nicholson.R@parl.gc.ca>; Member for Ottawa--Orleans <Galipeau.R@parl.gc.ca>
Subject: Where is justice in Canada?

Copied on this email are the Auditor General of Canada and Royal Galipeau, my MP. I had intended to copy the Commissioner of the RCMP; however, like the Governor General, he doesn’t have the courtesy to provide an email address to which Canadians may address correspondence. I request that one of you please forward a copy of this email to his office.

In Friday’s Globe and Mail there was coverage of the British Columbia’s Crown’s investigation into the death of Robert Dziekanski (see http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081213.BCTASER13/EmailTPStory/National). As a Canadian, the response by the BC Crown, the RCMP, and the Canadian Government itself in general shames me. Why does no one in the “establishment” take responsibility for Mr. Dziekanski’s death?

As a child, my parents raised me in the understanding that a policeman (or woman) was always a safe harbour in the event of trouble. As an adult, I am no longer able to make that blanket statement to my own children. Instead, I am forced to tell me own children that they must deal cautiously with law enforcement agents and so-called ”security personnel” in general. My own experience with police personnel, border control agents, airport security staff (CATSA, in Canada), and the like, along with incidents such as Mr. Dziekanski’s treatment all lead me to conclude that even in Canada one must be wary of any contact with representatives of Canada’s justice system (I’m not sure what else to call police, immigration, government contracted security staff, etc. as a group).

I could write voluminously about my concerns regarding the lack of justice in Canada, but I will limit this email to the following plea: Mr. Oppal, as the BC Attorney General, please take action and reign in your staff. Please do not allow them to shake off all responsibility for Mr. Dziekanski’s death. Mr. Dziekanski didn’t spontaneously expire; rather, he was left to wander un-helped in the Vancouver International Airport for many, many hours, and when he began to become agitated (as one would expect of someone abandoned and ignored, in a strange place, for 10 hours) the local authorities responded with an iron fist—which resulted in his death.

Mr. Oppal, please be the first government official to step away from Canada’s deteriorating justice system and begin to lead the establishment back to a place where all Canadians can expect and receive justice, and eventually return the image of a policeman to that of someone who can be trusted in a time of trouble.

Regards,
Christopher