Crossing the hard line between the judiciary and politics
The jury trial of Gerald Stanley, charged with second-degree murder in the death of Colten Boushie, marks a new development in criminal law.
The trial itself was not unusual – a jury heard the evidence, deliberated and acquitted the Saskatchewan farmer.
It’s what followed the acquittal that’s remarkable.
Immediately following the verdict, the most senior federal politicians, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, waded into the controversy through social media in a manner that clearly implied that the jury was wrong. The federal politicians sided with the Boushie family against the man the law now says is innocent.