Our Mission. Innocence Canada is a Canadian, non-profit organization dedicated to identifying, advocating for, and exonerating individuals convicted of a crime that they did not commit. In addition, we work to prevent future injustices through legal education and reform.
Can someone be found innocent in Canada?
First, section 11(d) guarantees the right of any person charged with an offence to be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Second, section 11(d) guarantees that the process whereby the guilt of any accused will be proved, will be fair.
How to work for Innocence Canada?
- • JD degree or equivalent;
- • 0-3 years post call experience;
- • Member in good standing at the Law Society of Ontario;
- • Experience in criminal law;
- • Experience and understanding of the Canadian wrongful conviction context;
- • Strong legal research and writing skills;
- • Excellent file management;
Do wrongful convictions happen in Canada?
In Canada’s criminal justice system, people are sometimes found guilty of crimes that they did not commit. These errors are known as wrongful convictions. The number of wrongful convictions in Canada is unknown. In part, this is because it is very difficult for wrongfully convicted people to establish their innocence.
Who takes on cases at Innocence Canada?
Innocence Canada relies on staff lawyers and experienced private bar lawyers (Case Reviewers), who volunteer their time, to review cases. Other important professionals are often involved as well, for example, private investigators, forensic experts, and other specialists whose expertise may be needed.
What crimes will not let you into Canada?
If you have been convicted of minor offenses (including assault, dangerous driving, DUI, theft, shoplifting, unauthorized possession of firearms, possession of illegal substances, etc.) or indictable criminal offenses (including assault with a deadly weapon, manslaughter, etc.) you are prohibited from entering.
What crimes will keep you out of Canada?
Crimes That Can Make You Inadmissible to Canada
- DUI (including DWI, DWAI, reckless driving, etc.)
- theft.
- drug trafficking.
- drug possession.
- weapons violations.
- assault.
- probation violations.
- domestic violence.
How do I get involved in an Innocence Project?
Shop for innocence
- Join the team to help win reforms.
- Create a Facebook Fundraiser.
- Invite an exoneree to speak.
- Learn more about the causes of wrongful conviction.
- Sign up for volunteer opportunities with the Innocence Project.
Do innocent people get compensated?
Laws in 36 states and on the federal books provide money to exonerees, according to the exonerations registry. The payments vary but often fall around $50,000 for every year wasted in prison.
How many innocent people have been executed?
The death penalty carries the inherent risk of executing an innocent person. Since 1973, at least 190 people who had been wrongly convicted and sentenced to death in the U.S. have been exonerated.
How many people are wrongly convicted in Canada?
According to research conducted by University of Ottawa criminologist Kathryn Campbell, who studies cases of wrongful conviction, at least 70 people have been exonerated in Canada. That’s an estimate, however, and there could be many more.
How common are wrongful convictions in Canada?
Compare these numbers to Canada, where a paltry 20 instances of wrongful conviction out of 186 applications to the government have been discovered and rectified since 2002.
What is the leading cause of wrongful convictions in Canada?
Eyewitness misidentification has been found to be the leading cause of known wrongful conviction, contributing to approximately 70 per cent of known wrongful convictions that have been overturned by DNA testing. More sophisticated forensic analysis techniques have been used to exonerate the wrongfully convicted.
How many innocent people are jailed each year?
Studies estimate that between 4-6% of people incarcerated in US prisons are actually innocent. If 5% of individuals are actually innocent, that means 1/20 criminal cases result in a wrongful conviction.
Where do criminal trials take place in Canada?
Typically held in Provincial Court, it allows you to tell the court how you wish to proceed with your case. You must then attend court at the time and date in your summons notice. Failure to appear means you will be charged with another offence. You may also be arrested and brought to court by police.
What is the number one cause of wrongful convictions?
Mistaken witness id Eyewitness error
Mistaken witness id
Eyewitness error is the single greatest cause of wrongful convictions nationwide, playing a role in 72% of convictions overturned through DNA testing.
How far back does a background check go in Canada?
The investigation can cover many years’ worth of information. Presently, in most parts of Canada, a background check is able to go back over a considerable amount of time. In fact, it can go as far back as when the candidate turned 18 years old — the legal age of adulthood.
Can I live in Canada with a criminal record?
If you are refused an eTA because you have committed or been convicted of a criminal offence, you will need to apply for criminal rehabilitation under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Under this Act, if you have committed or been convicted of a crime, you will have to apply for a Visa.
Do police need a reason to stop you in Canada?
A police officer is entitled to pull you over, for example, just to check your license for a safety check of your vehicle to, you know, ask you questions but a police still has to have legitimate reasons for pulling you over and that’s a legitimate reason under the Highway Traffic Act – a safety check.
What is the most common crime committed in Canada?
In 2021, four in ten (41%) homicides were firearm-related. The firearm was recovered in 29% of firearm-related homicides. Of the 297 firearm-related homicides that occurred in 2021, almost half (46%) were considered by police to be gang-related.
What is a major threat to Canada?
We assess that the state-sponsored cyber programs of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea pose the greatest strategic cyber threats to Canada. State-sponsored cyber threat activity against Canada is a constant, ongoing threat that is often a subset of larger, global campaigns undertaken by these states.