Toronto Star Series on Police Who Lie

The Toronto Star recently published an investigative series on Police who lie:

"A coast-to-coast Toronto Star investigation found more than 120 police officers have been accused by judges of outright lying, misleading the court or fabricating evidence since 2005. Many of the officers have gone unpunished ..."

"There is so little oversight of the problem that in some jurisdictions police forces did not know judges found that their officers misled the court. Internal investigations into four cases — three in Peel, one in York — were started after the Star brought the courtroom misconduct to the departments’ attention. Compounding the lack of oversight is a lack of accountability to the public." (from the April 26 article "Police who lie: False testimony often goes unpunished")

Articles in the series include:

• How officers thwart justice with false testimony (April 26, 2012): In 100 recent cases across Canada, police used illegal techniques, excessive force and racial profiling, then covered it up with false testimony.
• False testimony often goes unpunished (April 26, 2012):A coast to coast Toronto Star investigation found more than 120 police officers have been accused by judges of outright lying or misleading the court.
• National police body says justice system needs to act over lies (April 27, 2012):The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police says the justice system should report police officers who are found by judges to have lied, misled the court or fabricated evidence.
• For hollering at police, a man was beaten and Tasered (April 28, 2012):‘Hey, baby!’ Several Niagara Regional Police officers stood roadside, watching as a man allegedly leaned out of a SUV and hollered the taunt.
• Judge said officer “intentionally misled the Justice of the Peace” (April 28, 2012): A Vancouver vice-squad officer intentionally misled a Justice of the Peace, a judge found
• In Edmonton, a veteran detective’s testimony ‘excessively disturbing’ (April 28, 2012): Sections of an expert report in a drug case turned out to be copied portions of the Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties.