Guest columnist Timothy Moore, a psychology professor in York University’s Glendon College, and special guest columnist Andras Schreck of Schreck Presser Law, say a recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada leaves suspects with such a weak right to counsel that police interrogations are quite likely to lead to false confessions, wrote the Jurist Legal News & Research online Nov. 11 in an introduction to the column.
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled earlier this month that the right to counsel is a one-time-only opportunity, with few exceptions, wrote Moore and Schreck. In a 5-4 decision, the majority in R. v. Sinclair held that the essential purpose of the right to counsel is informational rather than protective.
Sinclair had been arrested for murder. After being advised of his right to counsel, he had two three-minute telephone conversations with his lawyer prior to a police interrogation that lasted five hours. He was denied repeated requests for further consultation with counsel.
In our opinion, the majority decision erodes constitutional protections of detainees and expands police powers at the cost of fewer safeguards for suspects.
Professor likes to Züm to Keele
In the first 42 days of Züm, Brampton Transit has experienced record-breaking ridership numbers in October, a 16 per cent ridership increase along the Queen Street Corridor, and better fuel economy than anyone – even the manufacturer – anticipated, wrote the Brampton Guardian Nov. 11 in a story about the bus service which terminates at York’s Keele campus.
“People are loving it. They think it’s the best thing we ever did,” said Brampton Transit director Sue Connor, who said she’s pleased with the preliminary numbers so far.
One York University professor has even given up one of his cars, and is using Züm instead, she said.
Russian spy earned a degree at York
The Russians have used the deep-cover tactic repeatedly since the SVR was formed in 1991 to replace the Soviet KGB, wrote the National Post Nov. 12 in a story about the Anna Chapman spy case.
Some time in the 1990s, the SVR’s Andrey Bezrukov stole the identity of Donald Heathfield, a Canadian infant who died in 1962. Using the child’s name, he studied at York University [and received a BA in 1995] before moving to Boston, where he lived with another agent, Elena Vavilova, who posed as his Canadian wife, Tracey Lee Ann Foley.
But on June 27, Bezrukov and Vavilova were among eight Russian agents arrested by the FBI.
Kellogg-Schulich grad to open a slaughter business
For 15 years in their native Romania, Claudiu and Mihaela Ciuciureanu (EMBA ‘07) operated a slaughterhouse and two sausage factories, wrote the Waterloo Region Record Nov. 12 in a story about the York grad and her husband’s plans to open a new slaughterhouse business in Kitchener.
“The whole due diligence takes time,” said Mihaela who earned her executive MBA degree at the Schulich School of Business at York University and the Kellogg School at Northwestern University in Chicago. She will serve as the company’s vice-president and chief financial officer.
Political bug bit Tony Genco early
York grad Tony Genco (BA ’88) lives and breathes politics, wrote YorkRegion.com Nov. 11 in a story about his bid for the seat at Queen’s Park being vacated by Vaughan mayor-elect Maurizio Bevilacqua. While the Vaughan Liberal candidate might be a neophyte when it comes to being at the front of a political campaign, since 1993 the 43-year-old father of two has been inside Liberal backrooms, including those of several local campaigns.
The political bug bit him early, as he chose to study politics because of late former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
One campaign he worked on was a life changer for the York University graduate. He met his wife of 15 years, Lea, while running the campaign for now Senator Art Eggleton’s 1993 federal campaign.
Following the campaign, the duo was hired to work for Eggleton in Ottawa, which mimicked the life of members of Parliament, living five days in Ottawa and two days back home in Toronto. “Our routine consisted of eight-hour drives over the weekend. We wound up falling in love by car on Hwy. 7 in Tweed,” Genco said, laughing.
This is Genco’s second run at political office. He first ran unsuccessfully against the late Tory MPP Al Palladini in the former riding of Vaughan-King-Aurora.
Life after city hall: Law school, anyone?
I’m 71 and I have applied to Osgoode Hall Law School, wrote retiring Toronto city councillor Howard Moscoe (Ward 15, Eglinton-Lawrence) in the Toronto Star Nov. 11. Who doesn’t want a 75-year-old lawyer? I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since I was 12. Maybe it was watching Perry Mason. I’ve spent the past 31 years making laws – I figure it’s time to find out what I was doing wrong. I’m scheduled to write the LSAT on Feb. 12. I’ve got some other things, four or five offers. Two are developers and the others are government relations. That would be consulting. The alternative would be sitting at home arguing with my wife about where to hang pictures. That’s not my style.
Arrest made in Black Creek daylight sex assaults
A man has been arrested in connection with a recent string of broad daylight sex attacks in a wooded area near York University, wrote the Toronto Sun Nov. 11, citing a Toronto police announcement.
Since September, Police said at least four young women have been victimized while walking through Black Creek Parklands, near Finch Avenue West and Sentinel Road, just west of the [Keele] campus.
“A man was taken into custody but he hasn’t been charged yet,” Const. Tony Vella said Thursday. “We’re still questioning him…. We’ve been patrolling the area and working with the community in an effort to catch this guy."
The suspect has not yet been identified. However, Vella said his name will be released if charges are laid.
On air
- York student Amanda DeMone talked about Remembrance Day ceremonies at the East York Civic Centre on Rogers Television Nov. 11.