New commission to review potential wrongful conviction cases to be stationed in Winnipeg

Winnipeg will be home to a new independent body to investigate potential wrongful convictions. Jeff Keele has the story.

Winnipeg will be the home of a new independent body.

The new Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission has been established by the federal government to investigate potential wrongful convictions.

Advocates who have been calling for it say this will speed up investigations when a wrongful conviction is suspected and it may actually uncover more.

Frank Ostrowski served 23 years in prison for a murder he said he didn’t commit.

“The judicial system destroyed my life and destroyed my family’s life,” Ostrowski told CTV News.

In 2014, the federal justice minister concluded a miscarriage of justice likely occurred in his case. Four years later, his conviction was overturned.

Ostrowski said the process leading to his release took too long.

“Banging your head against the wall, trying to find evidence to clear myself. I finally did get the evidence to clear myself.”

The commission will review, investigate, and then decide which cases should go back to the justice system.

This replaces the current system where the only avenue is the federal minister.

“I think they will work much quicker than the ministerial process,” said James Lockyer, a lawyer at Innocence Canada.

“I think they will uncover far more wrongful convictions.”

The commission is honouring David Milgaard, a Winnipeg man who spent 23 years in prison for a crime in Saskatchewan for which he was acquitted.

Manitoba has seen its share of wrongful convictions, including the cases of Thomas Sophonow, James Driskell, and Kyle Unger. As well as the 50-year-old case involving three men, Brian Anderson, Allan Woodhouse, and Clarence Woodhouse.

“It means that there’s, I think, an atmosphere in Winnipeg and in Manitoba as a whole that favours the creation of this new commission,” said Lockyer.

The federal government said the commission will also ensure that victims of crime are informed and supported during the review process.