Trial proceedings against the Toronto 18 have been unjustly. Guilty until proven innocent, the Toronto 18 will have to now go straight to trial - dates for which have yet to be set. Articles regarding the preliminary hearing linked on the left.
Excerpted from Political Prisoners:
September 25, 2007, brampton ontario: the preliminary hearing against 14 of-age suspects in its fourth month, was ended mid-testimony in court; the judge stayed all charges and all were re-arrested for direct trial without preliminary hearing; this may be part of a federal campaign to maintain secrecy where the allegations have appeared to respected journalists, to be "so bizarre as to be almost unbelievable" ("terror trial proceedings troubling," thomas walkom, sept. 25, 2007, toronto star); court proceedings are hidden by a publication ban; some defense lawyers believe the hearing was abruptly ended because the crown believed all charges against their clients would be permanently dismissed if it continued; the crown's primary known highly paid witness, recently accused of unrelated charges, was on the stand when the crown chose to shut the hearing down; legal preparations for the hearings cost both the suspects and the government (ibid.; "canada bomb plot case goes straight to trial: paper," sept. 24, 2007, reuters canada; "14 terror accused will go directly to trial," melissa leong, sept. 25, 2007, national post); the crown's need to show its effectiveness and commitment to the u.s. "war on terror" has made these suspects, political prisoners; the government's actions, which require the re-arrest of bailed defendents,and re-constitutes charges, unnecessarily inflicts psychological damages and expense on people who are still innocent under law.
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