An Ottawa judge has thrown out a romance fraud case that has taken more than four years to go to trial, ruling that the excessive delay has robbed the accused man of his right to a fair trial. Ontario Superior Court Justice Kevin Phillips on Friday stayed the case against Kevin Bishop of Ottawa, who had been facing one charge of fraud over $5,000.
Right to be tried within a reasonable time
The case represents the latest fallout from a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that established new rules for an accused person’s right to be tried within a reasonable time. It also falls on the heels of an Ottawa judge staying a first-degree murder case just last month.
Read more at The Regina Leader Post.