The City of Ottawa is looking hard at a system that would allow drivers to dispute parking and camera-issued tickets without going to court, but one lawyer worries it could lead to biased decisions.
Provincial law empowers municipalities to adopt an administrative penalties system, which handles certain by-law and camera-based offences in-house instead of through judges or justices of the peace.
The system allows residents to take their disputes to a city screening officer, who can reduce or cancel the penalty. That decision is subject to appeal with a city-appointed hearing officer.
Other Ontario cities such as Toronto and Waterloo have already made the switch.
Ottawa is “exploring the feasibility and impacts of implementing
