Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all the witnesses for being with us today. I also offer my deepest condolences to Ms. and Mr. Best on the passing of their daughter.
Currently, in order to release an accused pending their next court appearance, the judge must assess three criteria. First, do we think there is a risk that the accused will not show up at his next court appearance? Second, is the accused a threat to public safety? Third, would his release undermine public confidence in the administration of justice? Those are the three criteria that are in place.
Currently, to deny bail, the Crown must prove there is a risk that the accused will not appear in court, that they are a threat to the public or that their release could bring the administration of justice into disrepute. However, we are talking about reversing the burden of proof, that is to say asking the accused to prove that he will be present at his trial, that he is not a threat to the public, and so on.
Mr. Baxter, in your opinion, will the reverse onus change anything? If so, could you elaborate?