Victim testimony

ore than a little confusion seems to exist over
the opportunity now given to victims of crime
to inform the judge of the physical, financial
and emotional impact the crime has had upon them.
. Some people oppose input by victims into. the crimi-
nal court system on the grounds that it would not be
objective and could therefore weigh unfairly against
the accused. This might be true if such input affected a
finding of guilty or not guilty, but it doesn’t. It is
meant solely for the information of the judge at the
. sentencing stage, once the accused has been duly con-
Victed...

At that. stage, the victim’s input may indeed be
capable of influencing the severity of the sentence
‘handed down: It adds a’ human and emotional dimen- .

sion to strengthen the prosecution’s abstract legal

" arguments for adequate punishment as prescribed by

’ law. In so doing, it corrects a longstanding imbalance.
Skilled defence lawyers, pleading for leniency to
: “their clients, concentrate heavily on human and emo-

«, tional :-factors .as . mitigating -circumstances. Often, |
“hitherto, little or. nothing has been heard in the court- |
room’ itself about the true extent of the personal dam-.:
age inflicted on: the’ criminal’s victim. Hence, frequent

with . letters, never forgetting bi
thdays and other special occasion:
“Marion just recently lost her ow
“were 80-year-old -husband, so-what could be m

lor. citizen at Van-..

home for the past 24 years? H Have
- ball: for’ ‘th :

THE-FAMILY NUPTIALS
Margaret, Dr.’ Alan‘and his Christ

- With" a‘mistaken- sense 2 of com-
passicn, | ‘and in an attempt. to im-

prove -the lot of workers at entry”

level or with: few: skills, they have

“in fact. managed to:make employ-
*“ment-much more difficult to find

for'a’ substantial percentage ¢ of the.
*.” population.

ifthe value, of the job i is less
than the legislated wage, . an

~ employer will simply eliminate the
job, thus the government can be’

said to be discriminating against a
group who are least able to defend

THE VOICE OF MONTH AND WESY VANCOUVER

‘north shore

SUNDAY + WEONESOAY + FRIDAY

1139 Lonsdale Ave. -
North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4

56,893 (average, Wednesday
Friday & Sunday) Lt]
sDAa DIVISION

TURNING THE SOD for the expan

Publisher...
Editor-in-Chief

Peter Speck

Display Advertising 980-0511
Noel Wright

Clessified Advertising 986-6222

Newsroom : 985-2131 : yi
Circulation 9361337 +News Editor . Barrett Fisher

Subscriptions 986-1337 Advertising Director. . Linda Stewart

North Shore News, founded in 1869 as an independent suburban newspaper and dualitied under Schedule tl, Patagtapn {tl of tne
Erets@ Tas Act, « published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by Norih Shore Free Press Lid, and dketubuted ta every coor
the Norn Shore Second Class Mait Registration Number 3885. Subscuptions North and West Vancouver, $25 pet year. Matling ales
available On request. Submissions ate welcome but we cannot accept responsibility tor unzohcied material melding manuscrats
and Prclutes which should be accompanied by a Stamped, addressed envelope
Bee. Entire contents ©
1986 North Shore
Free Press Ltd. All
rights reserved.

d West. Van Kiwanis Senior Citizens home :.. Mayor Derrick Hace
is. T

with (1 to r) Brock Webber and John Millard: (Housing. Society. president and: vice)

Higgins and architect Brian Hanna;

and if their: firstborn happens to be. L

: the local réctor. Hence, 'yesterday’s:

joyous -all-in-the-family: ceremony ae

at St. ‘Monica’ ’s -~.when Dr. Ala

; tothety ee

: direction of Rev. John Robertson.:

yas “family like that,’ where else -g

PO: Director. of. Photography. for :
., this spectactilar resentation .
b 3

yo worked on such films as Rocky, i
: Runaway, Clan: of-:

years in: he motion fe: than, 20
dustry, : winning: along: the way a

“string of prestigious international

awards. “Portraits of: Canada”

one.

themselves. In’ a free market, boli: ok
ticians have no place interfering in

marketplace, —
balance. ‘of: supply ° and. demand,
will soon indicate the ‘correct’ rate”

“the..normal?-

d:to. make" entry. level ae
ni available. to'young : people ate 7
wages”: commensurate. with. their

t “| “productive | capacity.’ The present:
“; system of ‘rewarding idleness. with

. social benefi ts. is counter-produc-: *'

_ tive.

~ begin to’ correct: it,

Bill Tomlinson;
President :
B.C. Libertarian Party

it’ destroys ‘self-esteem ‘and °
creates in the individual a negative
attitude. toward society ~that