MINISTER OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES DECISION ON
APPLICATION FOR MERCY OF SIDNEY MORRISROE
OTTAWA,
October 18, 1995 -- Allan Rock today announced that he has dismissed the application of Sidney Morrisroe under section 690 of the Criminal Code. In his application,
Mr. Morrisroe was seeking a new trial or, in the alternative, a reference to the Supreme Court of Canada or a new investigation by non-departmental counsel.
In a detailed decision delivered today to Mr. Morrisroe, the Minister of Justice sets out his reasons for dismissing the application.
Section 690 of the Criminal Code provides that a person who has been convicted of an indictable offence and who has exhausted all appeals may apply to the Minister of Justice for a review of his or her conviction. To obtain a
section 690 remedy, an applicant must show that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that a miscarriage of justice has likely occurred.
"I have concluded that in the circumstances of this case, there is no basis to grant any of the relief the applicant seeks" said Minister Rock in his decision. He added that "neither the arguments nor the new evidence are such that they
lead reasonably to the conclusion that a miscarriage of justice likely occurred in this case".
Mr. Morrisroe's case was tried before a judge and jury in 1984. Mr. Morrisroe appealed his conviction before the Court of Appeal of British Columbia, which upheld the conviction. The initial application to have the case reviewed by the Minister
under section 690 was received by the Department of Justice in 1992. However, there were additional grounds raised during the following three years. The most recent submission was received by the Department on August 7, 1995. A chronology of the
events surrounding Mr. Morrisroe's application as well as a backgrounder are attached.
A copy of the decision is available upon request.
Ref.: Cyrus Reporter Yvan Roy
Minister's Office Department of Justice
(613) 992-4621 (613) 957-4729
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