Federation of Ontario Law Associations (FOLA) reacts to Umar Zameer verdict

“Umar Zameer is a free man after a three-year witch hunt in which he was demonized by politicians and wrongly held up as an example of a revolving door justice system. Against that backdrop, his acquittal underscores that the presumption of innocence is a bedrock principle in our criminal justice system.

“In recent months, FOLA has spoken out in opposition to statements from Premier Ford and others suggesting that our criminal courts are too lenient or that only those lawyers with sufficient ‘tough on crime’ credentials or who share the Premier’s views ought to be appointed to the bench.

“It must be remembered that the Premier’s views, when Mr. Zameer was granted bail, were that his release was “beyond comprehension” and “completely unacceptable”. The Premier wrongly equated Mr. Zameer’s conduct to a “heinous crime”. Those comments had no merit. That was true then, per the bail judge’s reasons, and it remains true today.

“What is ‘completely unacceptable’ is for politicians to continue to spread misinformation about our criminal justice system and to score cheap political points at the expense of our courts and judges. FOLA has been consistent on this point in much of our recent advocacy.

“Politicians have increasingly vilified judges, justices of the peace, and defence counsel as part of a false narrative and moral panic about crime on our streets. To the contrary, the Zameer case underscores the fundamental role of an independent judiciary and effective legal advocates in achieving a just outcome.

“At the same time, the inconsistent evidence from the Crown’s case against Zameer and the reaction of police leadership to the court’s ruling are examples of the type of conduct by law enforcement that brings the administration of justice into disrepute and undermines public confidence in our judicial process. It is curious that judges and lawyers have become a favourite political target, yet we seldom see civic leaders take issue with the numerous examples of questionable police conduct across Ontario that are currently dominating our news cycle.

“As lawyers, we have a professional obligation to uphold public confidence in the administration of justice. The Zameer case epitomizes excellence in the pursuit of that ideal by members of the defence bar. The case also calls for greater scrutiny of the ethics and accountability of other justice participants with public-facing duties.”

About FOLA

FOLA is a non-profit organization that represents Ontario’s 46 county and district law associations, and about 12,000 lawyers. Most of FOLA’s members are sole practitioners or work in small firms across the province.