Supreme Court of Canada rules to bolster rights of inmates in provincial jails

The Supreme Court of Canada on Friday bolstered the rights of inmates in provincial jails who are accused of serious offences while incarcerated, a major ruling from the top court that broke with a long-standing precedent. The 6-3 judgment, written by Chief Justice Richard Wagner, represents a rare reversal from the Supreme Court on established law. The chief justice described it as “one of the exceptional cases” where the top court weighs a new constitutional issue.The question was how inmates in provincial jails are disciplined. Those who are accused of violating prison rules, in Saskatchewan and other provinces, are judged on what’s called the balance of probabilities – whether it is more likely than not they committed an offence.