Prosecutor to head review of Alberta’s bail system after fatal Mountie shooting

EDMONTON – An Ottawa prosecutor will lead a review of Alberta’s bail system following the shooting death of a Mountie earlier this year.

Nancy Irving is expected to make recommendations to the Alberta government in February.

A key question is who should be conducting initial bail hearings in the province — Crown prosecutors or police officers.

Const. David Wynn was shot at an Edmonton-area casino in January.

The killer, Shawn Rehn, later killed himself in a nearby home.

Rehn, a career criminal with a history of violent behaviour, was out on bail after a hearing in which an Edmonton police officer consented to his release.

The RCMP have questioned why Rehn was allowed on the streets.

Edmonton police asked the province in 2006 to be removed from bail hearing duties. The following year, a task force recommended the change and the province agreed to make the switch, but it didn’t happen.

Alberta Justice has said that police officers are used for initial bail hearings to speed up the court process.

Irving worked most recently as a general counsel for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada and has also served as an adviser to the RCMP.