Pubdate: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN) Copyright: 2006 The Leader-Post Ltd. Contact: http://www.canada.com/regina/leaderpost/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361 Author: James Wood, Saskatchewan News Network Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) NO CHANGES WILL BE MADE TO LAW A provincial law aimed at helping communities shut down drug houses and brothels is working properly and won't be changed, said Justice Minister Frank Quennell a day after a Court of Queen's Bench judge rejected the province's request to evict a Regina family in the first court case under the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act. Justice Janet McMurtry ruled there was little evidence that showed that the teenagers who live in the home, which is owned by two sisters, were smoking and selling marijuana, as alleged by government investigators. Quennell told reporters that most cases that have occurred since the act came into effect in 2004 have been settled informally with landlords or occupants. "That can't always be done, clearly, in the case of an owner-occupied residence where there are issues. That was the case here ... This is what courts are for. And as we go along, as courts interpret the legislation, prosecutors and investigators will have a better idea of the quality of information needed in order to obtain a community safety order," he said outside a meeting of the provincial cabinet in Yorkton. "This case doesn't cause me any concern. There will be other applications and other cases and some of them I imagine will be successful and some will be unsuccessful." Under the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, citizens can make complaints to the Director of Community Operations with the Department of Justice if they believe a house is being used for illegal activity, such as drug use or sale. The director could then have an investigator look into the complaint. Information compiled must then be taken to a judge to decide whether there is sufficient evidence to shut down the house. Quennell said the department will review the case to see whether investigators have to raise the bar for evidence used under the act. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin