Bad Medicine

John Reilly

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ISBN: 9781926855035

Bad Medicine

A Judge's Struggle for Justice in a First Nations Community

  Author:   John Reilly    
  Publisher:  Heritage Group Distribution

Early in his career, Judge John Reilly did everything by the book. His jurisdiction included a First Nations community plagued by suicide, addiction, poverty, violence and corruption. He steadily handed out prison sentences with little regard for long-term consequences and even less knowledge as to why crime was so rampant on the reserve in the first place.In an unprecedented move that pitted him against his superiors, the legal system he was part of, and one of Canada’s best-known Indian chiefs, the Reverend Dr. Chief John Snow, Judge Reilly ordered an investigation into the tragic and corrupt conditions on the reserve. A flurry of media attention ensued. Some labelled him a racist; others thought he should be removed from his post, claiming he had lost his objectivity. But many on the Stoney Reserve hailed him a hero as he attempted to uncover the dark challenges and difficult history many First Nations communities face.At a time when government is proposing new “tough on crime” legislation, Judge Reilly provides an enlightening and timely perspective. He shows us why harsher punishments for offenders don’t necessarily make our societies safer, why the white justice system is failing First Nations communities, why jail time is not the cure-all answer some think it to be, and how corruption continues to plague tribal leadership.

Details and Specs
ISBN associated with this title: 9781926855035
Item HH0007
PublisherHeritage Group Distribution
PublisherHeritage Group Distribution
Published on September 15 2011
Language eng
Pages 264
Format Paperback
Dimensions8.5(in) x 5.5(in)
Shipping weight360(g)
Status ACTIVE TITLE
Judge John Reilly was appointed to the bench at age 30 and had the distinction of having been the youngest Provincial Court Judge in Alberta history. At 50 he made a promise to himself that he was going to improve the delivery of justice to the Stoney Nakoda First Nation at Morley. Reilly retired in 2008 but continues to sit as a supernumerary judge.