Ombudsman To Release Report On G20 Secret Law Tuesday
Posted December 7, 2010 7:39 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Ontario’s ombudsman will release a report on a secret law enacted during the G20 on Tuesday.
The so-called “five-metre rule” caused confusion during the June summit and had people fearing arrest if they strayed too close to the G20 security perimeter.
Anyone coming near the fence could be stopped and searched, officials said at the time. However, the law actually said officers could only search people trying to enter the secure perimeter.
Toronto’s police chief later admitted there was no five-metre rule.
“I was trying to keep the criminals out,” Chief Bill Blair said in June.
Critics, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and members of the opposition, demanded an explanation as to why neither Blair nor Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty clarified the regulation during the G20 summit.
Andre Marin examined why Ontario passed the regulation and whether it was necessary.
