The provincial government released results of a review into Alberta’s bail system, a review that was sparked by the shooting death of an RCMP officer last year – he was shot by a man with a lengthy criminal record who was out on bail.
In January, 2015, RCMP Const. David Wynn, and Auxiliary Constable Derek Bond were shot by Shawn Rehn, 34, who was out on bail at the time. Rehn was later found dead in a home.
Days later, Wynn succumbed to injuries he suffered in the shooting.
The fatal incident sparked the Alberta Bail Review, which was carried out by former federal Crown Prosecutor Nancy Irving and completed by the end of February, 2016.
Results of the review included 31 recommendations – the province said nine of them were already underway, or the province was working on them, while another 17 required consultation from stakeholders.
Alberta Justice said the remaining five recommendations fell under another jurisdiction.
One recommendation needing additional consultation was to have Crown prosecutors replace police presenters at hearing office bail hearings.
“The reason for that recommendation is that they are sort of legally trained and they may have greater understanding of the case law in that area,” Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley said. “I think what we’re looking to ensure is that the best possible decisions are being made.”
After the shooting, it was found that Rehn was out on bail at the time of the incident, and had more than two dozen outstanding charges against him.
A government report into Rehn’s criminal history showed he had been released on bail more than 20 times over 15 years, and at some of his bail hearings no Crown prosecutor was present.
Officials said there is no timeline for when the changes could take effect.
The review can be found online.
With files from Nicole Weisberg
