cannabisnews.com: From Gay Marriage To Pot Laws





From Gay Marriage To Pot Laws
Posted by CN Staff on August 16, 2003 at 12:50:06 PT
By The Canadian Press
Source: Canadian Press 
Montreal -- Politicians and the courts have a role to play in contentious issues like same-sex marriage and marijuana laws, Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin said Saturday. McLachlin was responding to questions about a recent opinion poll where 71 per cent of people asked said they felt it should be up to Parliament and provincial legislatures, not the courts, to make laws in Canada.
"In a democracy Parliament and the legislatures have a pre-eminent role to decide these questions of social importance but the courts also have a role to determine where the boundaries of the constitutional action are and to interpret the laws that come before them," she said. McLachlin's comments came at a news conference after she spoke at a Canadian Bar Association meeting. In her speech, McLachlin said three areas needed the attention of the justice system in the coming year: access to civil justice, the backlog in criminal courts, and the degree of separation between the judicial branch from other branches of government. Complete Title: From Gay Marriage To Pot Laws, Politicians and Courts Play Role: McLachlinSource: Canadian Press Published: Saturday, August 16, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Canadian PressCannabisNews Canadian Articleshttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=canada
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #1 posted by freedom fighter on August 16, 2003 at 15:29:18 PT
Mr. Dunne, The Pot Judas!
CANNABIS ROW SETS MPS ON FIRE A spat smouldering all week between the two MPs most passionate about cannabis really started to smoke yesterday. Chances of the pair enjoying a peace pipe together appear remote. Law reform advocate Nandor Tanczos ignited the matter on Tuesday when he reminded the House that the guardian of the legal status quo, Peter Dunne, had admitted using cannabis in his youth. Mr Tanczos says the comment was not a personal attack, but designed to highlight concerns about discriminatory policing raised in a health select committee report released last week. The report had found Maori more likely to be arrested and convicted for cannabis use than "middle-class Pakeha smokers, like Peter Dunne in his youth". Mr Dunne responded the next day to what he called Mr Tanczos' "shock-horror" revelations. "Fair's fair, Nandor. You got me. I have long since confessed to a youthful indiscretion ... Now let's have the same level of openness and honesty from you. Who's your dealer?" Mr Dunne said that given Mr Tanczos' long-standing disrespect for New Zealand, he did not expect the MP would answer the question. .............snipped http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1227/a02.html?397Hey, this is how I feel... Those who did smoked and still think it's okay to criminalize... These cockroaches are worse than Johnny Walters.. At least, I do know Johnny never smoked before. Digusting!pazff 
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment