Reaction to Barrie Demonstration

August 29, 2006 permalink

Dangerous gang member
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Canada Court Watch reports on a seventy-year-old woman excluded from the courthouse for being a dangerous gang member.

Some people can only respond to criticism by force of arms. Here is an abridged version of the latest news from Canada Court Watch.

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False allegations being used to spread fear at the Barrie, Ontario court

(August 30, 2006) Court Watch was provided information coming from an inside source at the Barrie, Ontario court in which is was revealed ... that some court employees are ... saying that Justice Olah was threatened by a group of "deadbeat dads" and that because of this, steps have been taken to provide extra security for her. Extra police officers were assigned to her court on Monday and court staff were reported as telling citizens that Justice Olah also was being given 24 hour police security at her home. According to the inside source ... a police investigation is now under way.

The group who participated at the event on Friday were mothers, fathers, grandparents, children and grandchildren. There were teens and young children who participated. Most were just good citizens who were aware of the problems with the court system and agree that changes are needed to the system to benefit the future of our children. The citizens, ranging in ages from 3 years to 70, simply distributed flyers in the community and in the geographical areas surrounding the Barrie court to bring attention to the people that Justice Olah was not behaving like a competent judge. It was a fun day for all who participated. Yet, court officials appear to have transformed this peaceful event into a physical threat against Justice Olah.

Court Watch acknowledges that the public awareness campaign last Friday was intended to embarrass Justice Olah but that this was undertaken in the spirit of protecting the public's interest. This campaign was was the result of reporters from the media, including Court Watch, who on at least two occasions were threatened with arrest for simply attempting to quietly and peacefully enter her court and to do their job of monitoring the court to help protect the public's interest in the administration of Justice. Justice Olah's reaction was to kick members of the media out and to threaten them with arrest. Madame Justice Olah even had the Archbishop Dorian A. Baxter excluded from the court, even though a teenage girl had requested that he attend with her to support her at the court in which she was the principal subject. Justice Olah has also impeded parties in obtaining transcripts.

A good judge would allow a teenage girl to bring at least one support person of the teen's choice into the court. A good judge would not put up barriers to parties obtaining court transcripts. A good judge would not refuse the media the opportunity to respectfully argue in court and to allow the arguments to be placed on court record. A good judge would not ignore the reasonable wishes of the parties in the court. A good judge not ignore the age-old tradition of freedom of the press. A good judge would not threaten to arrest members of the media without fairly and honourably allowing argument. A good judge would not issue instructions (but not orders) in some back room to have members of the Ontario Provincial Police select who gets to go into a court and who is made to stay out and to then have officers padlock the courtroom doors. A good judge would not be afraid to have his/her words put on the court record and to have any orders given put into a written "court order" for the record. Justice Olah has not acted like a good judge and has brought dishonour to herself and brought dishonour to the administration of justice. Prior to this public awareness event on August 25, 2006, Court Watch wrote a letter to the Attorney General to seek assistance but the Attorney General of Ontario was unable to assist. The only recourse left open to the citizens of of Canada have was to launch a public awareness campaign to bring attention to the problem with Justice Olah and her practices in the court of public opinion.

The chairman of Court Watch, the Archbishop Dorian A. Baxter would welcome an invitation to a meeting with Justice Olah and the court administrators at the Barrie court to discuss the issues of concern which affect members of the public.

Source: Canada Court Watch