LATIMER GRANTED DAY PAROLE

In early 2008, the appeal division of the National Parole Board reversed the Board’s earlier decision that denied Robert Latimer’s request for day parole. The Saskatchewan farmer had drawn a life jail sentence (no parole for 10 years) for ending the life of his severely disabled 12-year-old daughter. Pointing out the judicial finding that “compassion” and “love” had motivated Latimer’s action, CCLA had called for remedial action from the federal government. At that time, the group’s General Counsel Alan Borovoy challenged the Parole Board for noting that Latimer had not evinced “any commitment or motivation for change”. This triggered the CCLA rebuke that the role of this tribunal “is not to brainwash the prisoners but rather to assess whether they would pose a risk to the safety of society”.

Following the publicity surrounding such criticisms of the Board’s decision, Latimer retained a lawyer and, this time, succeeded in obtaining day parole. While welcoming this decision, CCLA is urging total clemency.