The trial of David Chen continues at Old City Hall in Toronto.
A shopkeeper on trial for catching and tying up a serial thief has received high-level support from two Toronto opposition MPs.
Joe Volpe, Liberal member for Eglinton-Lawrence, and New Democrat Olivia Chow of Trinity-Spadina appeared outside the Old City Hall courthouse Monday morning to promote their respective private member's bills, introduced earlier this year.
Both bills would bolster rights of citizens who make arrests, as Mr. Chen and two of his employees did outside his Lucky Moose grocery in May of 2009.
Court has heard that the men caught and bound Anthony Bennett, a 52-year-old career criminal and drug addict, after he returned to Mr. Chen's shop within hours of having stolen $60 worth of plants from a sidewalk display.
The three accused, who held Mr. Bennett in the back of a delivery van until police arrived, are on trial for assault and forcible confinement.
The Crown has argued they went too far in arresting the thief, since his crime had happened previously that day. Citizens' arrests are only allowed during commission of a crime.
However, Mr. Bennett has testified at the trial that he returned to the shop to steal more plants, which defence lawyer Peter Lindsay has argued constitutes a second criminal act, which his clients stopped that day.
The charges against Mr. Chen led to an outcry among Chinatown merchants weary of shoplifting and the low priority police have traditionally assigned it.
The MPs' bills would strengthen people's rights to protect property by broadening the circumstances in which citizens' arrests would be lawful.
Both Mr. Volpe and Ms. Chow said Mr. Chen has been "victimized twice," first by shoplifters and then by the courts, and called on the Conservative government to amend the Criminal Code to protect merchants like him.