Top Five 2007: R v Truscott

Each year at OJEN’s Toronto Summer Law Institute, a judge from the Court of Appeal for Ontario identifies five cases that are of significance in the educational setting. This summary, based on these comments and observations, is appropriate for discussion and debate in the classroom setting.

R v Truscott, 2007 ONCA 575

Stephen Truscott was convicted of a murder committed in 1959.  In this recent case, the Ontario Court of Appeal reviewed that conviction.  Scientific developments led to fresh evidence and the acquittal of Truscott almost 50 years after he was first convicted.The full decision is available here.