No public inquiry into Baltovich case: Ontario's attorney general

Ontario Attorney General Chris Bentley says there will be no public inquiry into the case of Robert Baltovich, a Toronto man who was found not guilty of murder in April after a prolonged legal battle to clear his name.

In 1992, Baltovich was convicted of second-degree murder in the 1990 murder of his girlfriend, Elizabeth Bain. He served eight years in prison before he was released on bail in 2000 pending an appeal.

In 2004, the Ontario Court of Appeal set aside the conviction and ordered a new trial because of errors by the trial judge. Baltovich was acquitted in April 2008 after the Crown effectively said there was no case.

Bentley said he broke the latest news to Baltovich's lawyer and the Bain family on Thursday.

"I've given this matter a lot of thought," the attorney general said on Friday. "I've listened to the calls for and against another inquiry into this matter and I've concluded that an additional inquiry into this case will not provide additional information to strengthen the administration of justice."

Bentley told Bain's parents the province will work toward speeding up the court system. He also had a message for Robert Baltovich, now 42, telling him that while he received a fair trial, the process took too long.

"I want to say to Mr. and Mrs. Bain, my commitment, our government's commitment, is that we will improve our system of justice so that no family will have to wait like you've had to wait."

The attorney general said he has established an independent panel to recommend ways to avoid lengthy delays in major trials.

Bain, a 22-year-old student, disappeared June 19, 1990, after telling her parents she was going to the University of Toronto's Scarborough campus to check the tennis schedules. Her car was found a few blocks away with blood on the back seat, but her body was never found.