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Blogs by Mary E Martin
The Osgoode Trilogy 1/31/2007 1:21:41 PM
Take a look at Osgoode Hall, the Courts of Justice in Toronto, Canada. I named my trilogy of novels [The Osgoode Trilogy] after this building. In Conduct in Question, many references are made by the protagonist, Harry Jenkins to Osgoode Hall. And in Final Paradox, a major scene is set in Court Room Four at Osgoode Hall.
If you live in Canada, you are likely hearing about the case in the Appeal Court of Stephen Truscott. In 1959, he was convicted and sentenced to hang for the rape and murder [he was only 14 then] of a young girl. Right now, the appeal is being heard at Osgoode Hall, with five justices presiding. The death sentence was commuted and he served many years in prison. Truscott is now trying to clear his name and he may well have been wrongly convicted. The Ontario Court of Appeal will decide this at Osgoode Hall. Also, the case is making legal history because it is the first televised appeal hearing in the province. Watch for it on TV.
Given that forensics has advanced immeasurably since 1959, much of the evidence obtained then would not meet present day standards. And yet, the Crown prosecutor is arguing that the evidentiary rules of 1959 should be applied. Do you think this is fair?
Osgoode Hall is a very beautiful building. If you'd like to explore photographs of it, just click www.osgoodehall.com. The first time I argued in the Court of Appeal, at Osgoode Hall, I was awed [and intimidated] by my surroundings. Today, in writing, I use my mental images of this gorgeous building as a setting for Harry Jenkins, the protagonist of the Osgoode Trilogy.
