“Courts,

THE COLUMN I wrote in last
week’s News generated more

reader response than any other

issué | have commented upon.

The subject du jour was the

--appointment of Selwyn Romilly to /

the bench of the B.C. Supreme’
“Court. It would appear the public at -:
large is as outraged. with the
~ appointment as I was.
~ Romilly, you will remember, has’
been widely criticized for his objec-
’ tionable release of Brett Shane Neff
"from custody. Neff went on to kid-
“nap, then brutally rape and murder
:10-year-old Melissa Deley i in Sur rey
“last September.
. .* Last Monday Romilly was sworn
‘inand’ welcomed as a Supreme’
Court Justice. Speaking at.the wel-
“,cGming..ceremony at the Law
he had” some pointed
“remarks for those who dared to crit-
icize a man such as himself.’ With
” the’ arrogance. of a genuine Higher
Purpose Person, _heé..-stated «he
remains unswayed by the “‘disturb-.
ing criticisms’; associated. with his.
appointment. :
He -went‘on ‘to say: ‘that judges:

“Tmust no allow criticism in the news -
“media to, “undermine - their social

onscience. ;

Leo: tacts writings: are: like.

manna from heaven!
“titles

Punishment, vis loaded with: crime
(not all of which is perpetrated by .
the’ criminals)“ but has damn litde
punishment.: tls 1

“ Please keep his’ articles: coming
He i is indeed a paladin. for the vic-
tims: of «crime: and ;,the” taxpayers
who are’ footing the bills.*
. Sandy Sanderson * |
West ‘Vancouver

BROWSE JHE
Bos MEWS. :
every

wit
& Sunday.” ’

iid

have borne witness to the good, the
bad, the ugly and the inherent indif-
ference of the judiciary to.the rights
_ of victims and members of the pub-
lic whose welfare the law was sel t up
to p rotect.

1 have seen defence counsel trot

out the “pity” plea at sentencing so -

many -times that.if 1 hear it once

‘more I will probably hurl my break-

fast in the direction of counsel table.
Indeed, it was the “pity” plea that

“Romilly took at- face‘value-in the:
Neff decision. . 7
"Romilly was told by the defence

“that Neff had a job (he didn’t) and -'

"that his , daughier, was -in-intensive

care (she wasn’t). Romilly accepted
these statements as fact when clear-

»,ly all tie had to do’to ensure he had
the’ truth was order. a pre-sentence .
report compiled by ,a, member of.
‘probation services, something dene
‘ “Fegularly at’ the: provincial court .
“y, level.

As" pompous as Romilly’ s.com:
ments appear, they pale in compari-.

*Colurnnist Leo: Knight's

son to a statement made by B.C.
Law Society treasurer Grant
Burnyeat, who. said at the. same
gathering, “We have spoken out
recently. about unjust criticism
received from citizen's groups with
misdirected anger, media with unin-
formed content and editorial com-
ment, and malicious Politicians with
unacceptable agendas.”

Translation:. If you're not a
lawyer you don’t know what you're

* talking about. Leave it to us in the

old boys’ club to tell you what is
good for you.

A representative ‘of the citizen’ s
group with “misdirected unger,”
Dawn Bakeberg, Melissa Deley’s
mother, said in response, “It’s not
misdirected anger, everybody’s eyes

‘are opening up. Too many people
including myself had convinced’
_ ourselves that nothing bad will hap-
“pen. They are realizing that is just

not ‘the case and they want some-
thing done about it: If Romilly had
done his job, two people would still

- be alive today: My Maughter i is one

of them.”
* The. “malicious. politician with
an unacceptable agenda,”

scoffed at Burnyeat’s remarks. |

Mitchell stated, “The legal. sys-
tem-has become so‘incestuous it’s
disgusting. It's clear. there’are a lot
of legal: bureaucrats, lawyers. and
judges’ covering their. asses hoping

to one day g get an appointment of
their own.

"Mitchell wants to see an end to

“the system that appointed Romilly.

Currently, a board made up of palit-

ical patronage appointments meet in

attack on’ the appointment of J dge .

Selwyn’ Romilly. to the § Supreme Court'of.British Columbia is.grossly -;
unfair (Appointment of judge is'a puzzlement, Nov. 22 News). °
‘attempts to hold Judge Romiily tmdered 6 for; the tragic death

f a‘t0-year-old Surrey girl

ital: Neff had. no, prior history of sex offences.

Further, New:  Westminste: Crown

department prosecuted Neff, st ted publicly that, given. the ‘citcum-,,

stances of the case, the sentence, i

5 not open to'a judge to lock up. a person for life and throw away -
he key in every case. A. judee | is req red to apply. established princi-;:

ples ins

ct ieuleie may bees it does not mean’
that. Neff was .wro aly sentenced by Judge Romilly. in the first plac :

does‘ mea:

t-sentencing is an;ex remely difficult part. ofa crimi-,

-nal_case, It also means’ that critics such ‘as

: rushing to simpli
Grant D. Burn eat, Oc.”

and: unfair’ condemnations.

West’
“Vancouver MLA ‘David Mitchell,

seeret to select the Supreme Court

Justices. Who are these people? You
can’t find out. You, the public, in
whose name the appointments are
made, are not allowed to know, .
Mitchell said the appointments
and the process is nothing more than
“capital ‘P* polities.” He is now lob-
bying to vet a more open process
where the public have input and are
represented by individuals with the
greater public interest at hearts. °
He. cites the American system
which requires potential appointees

-to submit to questioning by a Senate
review committee. This question-"

” and-answer session-is don

open and in front of the media..The
public. has access and through their:
elected representatives,.can voice:
their position on any individual... :-.}
Hmm... open, accessibie, public :
input. Sounds to me like that might:
well lead to fairness in the process
and sensible appointments ‘in the

end. Hardly sounds ‘like an.“wnac-

ceptable apenda”. to, me. Itdoe
however, make it ‘clear. why’ it: is
unacceptable. to the Law Soziet
The next thing you know, a person
competence might: be a considera

_Uon for a -judicial.’ appointmen
* Perish the thought!

Leo Knight is a forme: ‘police officer
and is.a presently-a ‘principal: with:
Paladin ©. Security. in. North:
Vancouver,

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