Double Standard? I don't think so.
I saw this article under the featured section of Yahoo! Canada's home page today.
Now, before I go any further with my opinion, I'm going to go over the background of the two cases mentioned in the article.
The first case involves a Canadian named Mohamed Kohail who faces death by beheading in Saudi Arabia after being found guilty of murder in a schoolyard brawl.
The second case involves another Canadian named Ronald Smith who faces the death penalty in Montana after pleading guilty to murdering two people.
The Canadian government is currently trying to get a retrial for Kohail while doing nothing for Smith, which Smith's lawyer is claiming is a double standard. The Canadian government's stance on Canadians being convicted abroad is that of "not actively pursue bringing back to Canada murderers who have been tried in a democratic country that supports the rule of law" (as Stockwell Day puts it).
Then why is the Canadian government coming to the aid of Kahail? Smith's lawyer believes it to prevent him from being put to death, as Canada does not have the death penalty, but that is not the case, which is why I don't believe there's a double standard. Smith pleaded guilty to multiple murders, and the whole trial process was considered fair (officially anyway). Kohail on the other hand, didn't seem to have a fair trial, as there is question as to whether he is actually guilty, and that is why the Canadian government is involved. If he did do it, and it was determined fairly, then the Canadian government wouldn't be getting involved.
What gets me is the support Smith's case has gotten from Canadians. Do these supporters actually know the circumstances of these two cases? They are totally different because, like I said, The government is not arguing the sentence, but arguing the process and fairness. There's nothing to argue about the process Smith went through nor the fairness of that trial.
Now, before I go any further with my opinion, I'm going to go over the background of the two cases mentioned in the article.
The first case involves a Canadian named Mohamed Kohail who faces death by beheading in Saudi Arabia after being found guilty of murder in a schoolyard brawl.
The second case involves another Canadian named Ronald Smith who faces the death penalty in Montana after pleading guilty to murdering two people.
The Canadian government is currently trying to get a retrial for Kohail while doing nothing for Smith, which Smith's lawyer is claiming is a double standard. The Canadian government's stance on Canadians being convicted abroad is that of "not actively pursue bringing back to Canada murderers who have been tried in a democratic country that supports the rule of law" (as Stockwell Day puts it).
Then why is the Canadian government coming to the aid of Kahail? Smith's lawyer believes it to prevent him from being put to death, as Canada does not have the death penalty, but that is not the case, which is why I don't believe there's a double standard. Smith pleaded guilty to multiple murders, and the whole trial process was considered fair (officially anyway). Kohail on the other hand, didn't seem to have a fair trial, as there is question as to whether he is actually guilty, and that is why the Canadian government is involved. If he did do it, and it was determined fairly, then the Canadian government wouldn't be getting involved.
What gets me is the support Smith's case has gotten from Canadians. Do these supporters actually know the circumstances of these two cases? They are totally different because, like I said, The government is not arguing the sentence, but arguing the process and fairness. There's nothing to argue about the process Smith went through nor the fairness of that trial.