Violent, repeat offenders being released on bail due to 'unintended consequences': B.C. attorney general
B.C.'s attorney general says unintended consequences of bail reform in Canada are leading to more repeat offenders, some of them accused of random violence, ending up on the streets.
Murray Rankin made the comments to CTV News while attending a national conference of justice and public safety ministers in Nova Scotia, where every province and territory will highlight their priorities. In B.C., the issue of repeat offenders and random crime is a hot topic.
Rankin said recent reforms to bail provisions through Bill C-75 mean bail is essentially the rule, and keeping an accused offender behind bars is the exception.
"That's what we're going to ask the federal government: Are there things that we can do?" Rankin explained. "This was an unintended consequence of the reform, and now we need to see if we can get them to fix the Criminal Code part of it."
The attorney general said he believed this was an issue for provinces across the country. He said while the law needed changing, Ottawa also needed to step up with funding to help with substance abuse, mental health, and other issues that are leading to a spike in random crime.
The issue of whether B.C.'s attorney general could issue a directive to Crown counsel on bail considerations is the subject of heated debate in the legislature.
The opposition Liberals believe that should be done, and could quickly make a difference in the violence many people and businesses face. The minister insists it may not be that easy.
"We've been looking at that in the past and will continue to is whether or not it would be held up in the courts as legal. What's the sense of doing something that you know, like, but that you that you are advised will not work?" Rankin added.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees every person accused of a crime "not to be denied reasonable bail without just cause."
Bill C-75 was meant to "modernize" bail conditions, and to reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous People in Canadian jails.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
Oilers' Henrique, Stars' Hintz out for Game 1 of West final
Top-line Dallas Stars centre Roope Hintz will still be out of the lineup for the Western Conference Final opener Thursday night against Edmonton, which is still without forward Adam Henrique.
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
What is 'slapped cheek disease' and should parents be concerned?
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
Unknown Newfoundland soldier from the First World War heads back home from France after 100 years
Canadian soldiers and government officials arrived in northeastern France this week for a historic mission: returning an unknown Newfoundland soldier back home.
Calgary Philharmonic takes action following investigation into 'deeply troubling' comments by 2 musicians
The Calgary Philharmonic has confirmed its taking action after controversial online comments made by two members of the orchestra.