March 8, 2006
PRESS RELEASE:
The Assessment Review Board of Ontario:
"As the Board is clothed with judicial functions it will be obvious that there must be both the appearance of and in practice complete impartiality between the members of the Board and the litigants that appear before it." said CJRB lawyer & Vice-Chairman Lynne Cohen. Ms. Cohen's remarks are contained in a March 6th letter to Assessment Review Board (ARB) Chairman Richard Stephenson . The CJRB wrote to Mr. Stephenson after receiving an Ontario property owner's concern. Property owners are in an adversarial position to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation and because of a public outcry the Ombudsman of Ontario, Mr. Andre Marin is currently conducting a review of the property assessment system. Consider what impression would be created by the Ontario Courts linking their website to the Crown Attorney's office that is charged with the duty of prosecuting criminals, Ms. Cohen said. "The impression would be that the Courts are just an arm of the branch of government in charge of prosecutions".
