OTTAWA — The federal victims’ ombudsman says there are worrying gaps in proposed legislation around victims’ rights in the military justice system — and that fixing them could make the system a shining example for the rest of the country.
The Trudeau government unveiled the declaration last May, three years after a similar bill of rights for victims, which specifically exempted the military court system, came into effect. The same shortcoming exists in the civilian version, Illingworth said, but that is because provinces administer their own justice systems. Such isn’t the case with the military, which is a federal entity.
There were also concerns about a lack of training for specialized personnel such as chaplains and military health-care providers in terms of assisting victims. “Because then it’s not actually providing rights. It’s just a statement of some good intentions that we have, but we’re not actually changing any of the systems for victims.”And Illingworth, who said she was never consulted about the proposed legislation before it was tabled, said fixing the gaps could make the military an example for provinces to better support victims in their own justice systems.
'Transparency gaps'? Is that what you call it? There is NO transparency in any issue. 'Gaps' my a$s! Call it as it is, don't sugar coat it; because it's not responsible reporting. Tell the truth!