We spoke two weeks ago about New Brunswick convicted murderers Bobby Mailman and Wally Gillespie. Each was convicted in the 1980's for the same murder. Bobby Mailman spent 18 years in prison and Wally Gillespie spent 21 years imprisoned and yet the were both innocent of the crime. Two weeks ago the Chief Justice of New Brunswick on the first day of a retrial acquitted the two men when the Crown said it had no evidence against them. Mailman though is now 76 and dying of cancer, while Gillespie is 80 and living in poverty.

Meanwhile the the Justice Minister of New Brunswick has said nothing, even this week, of the wrongful conviction of both men, or about any compensation for the many years they were imprisoned while innocent.  

We spoke two weeks ago with Ron Dalton, president of Innocence Canada, which through its efforts was able to convince the federal justice minister to hold a second trial for Mailman and Gillespie (Ron Dalton himself was innocent of the murder of his wife, although he was convicted in her death). So now what for two men who spent a combined more than 40 years in prison innocent of the crime for which they'd been convicted? What responsibility does Canada have to compensate these two older men for the theft of many years of their lives?

Guests: Ron Dalton. President Innocence Canada

Win Wahrer. Director of client services for Innocence Canada. Has been at the forefront of fighting for the incarcerated innocent for many

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices