If you live in Ontario Canada you are about to have your rights taken away under a new proposed law AMP (Administrative Monetary Penalty) by the Liberal Government. You are about to be found guilty for traffic offences under the new system that will take away your rights to be heard in front of an impartial person such as a Judge. This system has been quietly introduced by the Provincial Government and is set to launch very quickly. It has already been give Royal Assent which means it can go through without being contested by the public. Consultation was introduced early on March and feedback opportunities were closed at the end of April. Most people I know didn’t even know about it until May and from what I understand it was sold as a solution for the insurance industry to help protect against claims. What it really does is take away the rights of every driver. I am no lawyer but basically this is how it will work.

If you have a traffic infraction you will be cited with a ticket. If you want to fight that ticket you will have to go online where your case will be heard by an Administrative Officer. The Administrative Officer will be municipal employees with their job being to collect money for the municipality. What do you think will happen in their performance appraisals if they are giving too many reductions or not collecting enough money? That is not impartial for anyone. The most that they can do is to reduce the amount of the ticket that was issued by the officer. They will not have the power to remove the guilt or challenge the officer’s evidence. If officers know that their evidence won’t be challenged will they still take the care required to get proper evidence before issuing a citation? Similar systems are already in place in cities like Brampton and Mississauga for things like parking tickets and municipal citations.

So what can you do? Right now the two month consultation period has been closed as of April 28, 2015. There are many petitions being formed to show public opposition to this new proposal. The proposal is now being reviewed and can go into law without being challenged. Everyone is urged to sign a petition in hopes of stopping the law from reaching proclamation.  You can read more about the law and how it will affect you at http://www.moepa.ca. Your rights are being taken away without your knowledge, don’t let that happen.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a transportation consultant with over 30 years of experience and host of the new Lead Pedal Podcast. He is the author of various books including Driven to Drive and Running By The Mile with accompanying video series. You can learn more about Bruce and his work at www.outridgeenterprises.ca and you can subscribe to his podcast at www.theleadpedalpodcast.com