Brenda Martin Case Regrettable but not Controlable

I, like many other Canadians, was dismayed this past week to hear about the case of Brenda Martin, a Canadian citizen, who has been accused by the Mexican government of money laundering. She was interrogated without having either a lawyer or an interpreter present, which is contrary to accepted international standards.

Although I truly do sympathize with her plight and wish a speedy and favorable resolution to her case, the Canadian government does not have the power to just bring her home as many people have been advocating. Canadian law covers activities occurring in Canada, while Mexican law covers activities which occur in Mexico. We cannot just overrule Mexican law because we feel we have the moral high ground.

The Canadian legal system is one of the strongest in the world, which benefits us when we have to deal with it here. Unfortunately, not all legal systems around the world are as strong and respectful of human rights as ours is. When Canadians go abroad to travel or live around the world, we need to keep this in mind and be cautious.

It is a great privilege to be able to travel, but we must remain cognizant of and respectful of the laws and legal of wherever we are. Just because we are entitled to legal protections as Canadian citizens at home does not mean we will be entitled to similar treatment abroad.

While the Canadian government may want to bring Brenda Martin home, we do not have jurisdiction in this case - only the Mexican government does.