The subject of compensating wrongfully convicted persons, or persons who have suffered severe miscarriages of justice, will continue to define the work, and indeed, the success of the innocence movement. This is because, once public authorities are made to pay heftily, for their omissions, commissions – and sometimes glaring oversight and negligence – it will leave them in no doubt, that they either have to sit up and do a thorough job, or get slammed with huge monetary compensation for victims.
That is exactly what a Canadian, Romeo Phillion has just done, suing the Ontario government in Canada. After spending 32 odd years behind bars – for a murder he was later acquitted of – Romeo is believed to have served more prison time than any other wrongfully convicted person in Canada. He is suing for $14million. Read report of his odyssey in search of justice and compensation by Globalpost.
The morale here is that, cases such as these, drive home the point that public institutions must be alive to their responsibilities and act judiciously and judicially, in the prosecution of accused persons. Systems, procedures and checks must be in place every step of the way, even after conviction, for public authorities to continue to receive and consider evidence with an open mind; deal with new evidence with all sense of responsibility. The life and liberty of individuals are at stake here. As Romeo himself lamented ‘I did’nt do 32 years for nothing. I lost my freedom. Somebody’s got to pay for that’. Yes indeed, somebody’s got to pay!
Wrongful Convictions Blog 