Farewell to Canada! Hello to the USA

ahhh, what a beautiful day of sunshine in Osoyoos! As Sue's pictures illustrate we have taken full advantage of the facilities at the Walnut Beach Resort, and I have just returned from a sunny hot tub and sauna. Osoyoos is a 'neat' place full of cafes and surfer boutique's. I couldn't resist purchasing a new pair of flip-flops to add my collection, and in hope that the warmer weather continues. This evening we are going to have a BBQ by the pool (vege burgers for me, steaks for the others) and continue to widen our piratical knowledge of the offerings from the local vine yards :-)

The past two weeks have flown by, I have met some wonderful people and seen some incredible scenery. The vocational placements have been very insightful, and I have had the opportunity of meeting a officer from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Penticton, a retired provincial Judge in Salmon Arm and a criminal defence lawyer in Penticton. I have visited the Provincial Court in Kelowna, and I observed part of a preliminary hearing on a murder case in the Provincial Court Penticton. The differences between the two systems have been more marked than I anticipated, for instance unlike the UK it is very unusual for a lawyer to attend the police station to represent a suspect. The court system is very different, and in Canada a suspect can elect to have a trial by a Judge, and it is only mandatory to have a trial by jury if you are charged with murder. Canada has similar social issues to the UK regarding managing drug/addiction related offending, but there appears to be more funding available for rehab's.

I am looking forward to crossing the US border tomorrow, and continuing our journey south. I am excited by the prospect of learning about the US criminal justice system, and how accurately it is portrayed in the movies!

Right, it is time to fire up the BBQ! Until next time........ x