Highly-awaited bail reform legislation will come by late June: minister – National
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the liberal government plans to introduce legislation including reform of Canada’s bail law before the House of Commons opens in the summer.
Asked by Mercedes Stevenson about the proposed reform timeline in an interview with west block Mendicino said there will be an announcement “in the not-too-distant future” that aired Sunday addressing not only bail, but other investments in law enforcement.
When asked directly whether the bill would be introduced before the end of the spring legislative session, which is currently scheduled to end on June 23, he replied, “The simple answer is yes.”
“We are committed to addressing this problem through bail reform, including a focus on repeat violent offenders …but not just bail reform. We also need to invest in a government that has put nearly $1 billion into helping law enforcement, and we will be talking a lot more about it in the not-too-distant future.”
After meeting with provincial and territory justice ministers last month, Justice Minister David Rametti pledged to act swiftly on “targeted reform” of the penal code that would update Canada’s bail system.
The request follows earlier calls for Ottawa to take “reverse liability” action for certain crimes, requiring bail seekers to prove why they should not remain in prison.
Rametti has previously expressed hope that the bill will be introduced during the spring sessions, but has not promised a timeline.
After Konst, the prime minister’s calls for bail reform increased earlier this year. Ontario Police Officer Greg Pierchara was killed while on duty in late December. One of his two men charged with first-degree murder in his death was initially denied bail in a separate case involving assault and a weapon, according to court documents. later released.
Major Canadian cities such as Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary have reportedly killed eight people on duty in the past seven months, while near-random and violent attacks continue to occur on public transport and on the streets. A police officer was killed.
Some of these attacks have been fatal, including the death of a 17-year-old boy who was stabbed and killed while riding a bus in Surrey, British Columbia.
Mendicino said she is also working with Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Carolyn Bennett to provide more support to local mental health services to stem violence in her community.
“We must get to the root cause of crime so that tragedy and loss can be prevented,” he said.
Mendicino’s comments come after he and Rametti signed a series of agreements with their U.S. counterparts following meetings in Ottawa under the reactivated Canada-U.S. Transnational Crime Forum. rice field.
Chief among these is an agreement on a cooperative crackdown on firearm smuggling across shared borders, including expanded information sharing to improve gun tracking, especially in Canada.
in the meantime recognized by Justice Canada The United States is the largest source of illicit firearms smuggled north of our border, and there is limited data to accurately track the exact number of guns brought into Canada each year, their origins and what they are used for.
Overall, Canada was able to track only 6% of all guns used in crimes and seized by law enforcement in 2019. RCMP’s 2019 Firearms ReportThe total number of firearms tracked in 2020 increased slightly to 2,143 from 1,768 the year before, according to the RCMP.
According to the Canadian Border Services Agency Last year, 1,203 firearms were seized at the border, up from 548 in the previous year.
“By strengthening our cooperation with the United States, we can go further,” Mendicino said. “That’s how we strengthen our borders and stop the illegal flow of guns into Canada.”
The minister added that information sharing and improved gun tracking will reveal the true extent of gun smuggling from the United States to Canada.
Technology upgrades allow law enforcement on both sides of the border to track home-made or home-made parts used to create so-called ‘ghost guns’ that have no serial number and are increasingly used in violent crime. will be
The Canadian-U.S. Cross-Border Crime Forum has also drawn pledges to fight cross-border human smuggling, stem the flow of opioids such as fentanyl, and combat the use of cryptocurrencies in money laundering.
No timeline for personal gun buybacks
Mendicino, who last week announced the first phase of a nationwide gun buyback program for retailers, did not say when the initiative would extend to individual gun owners.
The government says it has struck a deal with the Canadian Sports Arms and Ammunition Association to work with businesses and gun stores to recall about 1,500 models of firearms that were banned two years ago.
Mendicino said stores in Canada have about 11,000 banned guns and related parts in stock.
He told Stevenson that the program would “perfect” the business after he gave up firearms.
“First, with the help of a gun business owner, you can take the first bite out of an apple,” he said.
“After that, we plan to roll out a program focused on personal gun ownership.”
However, the minister did not say when the next phase would be rolled out. He said the federal government would “work with states and territories” to implement the program.
“This is an unprecedented program,” he added.
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