Mr. Speaker, many in the legal industry object to victims of crime participating in the courts on the following bases.
First, it opens up another front against which an offender must defend.
Second, it compromises judicial independence. Judges cannot resist emotional and political pressures.
Third, it yields evidence irrelevant to the offender's case.
Fourth, it prejudices offenders because victims may encourage special sentences.
Fifth, I understand they say it is unfair to offenders because some victims may be eloquent speakers.
The rights of victims are not a privilege we have to beg for from any government. These are rights, rights like being informed in a timely fashion of the details of the crown's intention to offer plea bargaining before it is presented to the defence and the right to choose between giving oral and written victim impact statements.
It is the rights of victims first, not criminal rights.