Friday, October 31, 2014

Did police chief invite criminal complaints against Ghomeshi and thereby initiate his prosecution ?

   Did I correctly understand a media report to the effect that Chief Blair invited persons alleged to have been victimized by Jian Ghomeshi to come forward to initiate a criminal complaint ?  

   Did I correctly understand a media report in the Globe & Mail that two women have since come forward and that the Toronto Police Service is now engaged in a criminal investigation of Jian Ghomeshi ?

     Assuming the first report referred to above to be correct, under what legal authority can a Chief of Police invite persons to make criminal complaints ?   Assuming these women act on the invitation, Mr. Gomeshi is charged and it turns out that he is exonerated in circumstances where it becomes clear that their testimony was neither credible or reliable, would not the Chief of Police be subject to potential liability for malicious prosecution for initiating this criminal prosecution ?