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What was set to be a simple appeal of a sentence for possession of a loaded handgun has burgeoned into a major push for judges to acutely focus on systemic racism against visible minorities when passing sentence, similar to special rules in place for Aboriginal offenders.

Eleven prominent human rights, legal and ethnic organizations have been granted special status in the government’s appeal of a “lenient” sentence of a black man in Toronto last year.

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tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Ontario case could set special rules for sentencing black offenders, similar to Gladue for Indigenous people Back to video

“As a general rule, interventions in criminal proceedings should be granted sparingly,” Ontario’s Chief Justice George Strathy wrote in a brief ruling on interveners released Tuesday.

“But the issues that arise in this appeal transcend the interests of the parties and are of significance to the administration of criminal justice. The proposed interveners are well-recognized organizations with experience and expertise in the issues raised in this appeal. They can offer perspectives that are different from those provided by the Crown and the respondent.”