There is “no quick or easy solution” to the recent surge in violence Transit And in the streets of Canadian cities, Justice Minister david lamety They say.
his comment comes later a series of violent attacks On commuters across Canada including Edmonton, torontoand Winnipeg.
In late January, a woman was stabbed to death on a streetcar in Toronto. two in uniform ttc Workers were also attacked on their way to work, another TTC driver was shot with a BB gun, and a man wearing a religious head covering was killed in a subway station in an alleged hate-motivated attack.
Last week, a man was arrested for chasing two TTC employees with a syringe. On Tuesday, longtime CBC reporter and editor Michael Finley Died after a random attack in Toronto Last week.
Canada’s public transportation system is facing a ‘crisis’ of violence. What can be done?
Parents left their ticketless child at Israeli airport check-in
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, where Conservative MPs were calling on the government to toughen bail laws, Lametti said each incident had been a “personal tragedy” and “a blow to our communities”.
“Canada has a strong and effective criminal justice system, including bail laws. But we all know that things can always be improved. You deserve to be Canadian and feel safe. And we have to play a part in protecting our communities,” he said.
“I want to assure Canadians that if someone poses a significant threat to public safety, the law tells us they should not be released on bail.”
Conservative politicians and police associations have been repeatedly calling on the government to toughen bail laws to ensure criminals stay behind bars. The calls reached new heights after the shooting death of a 28-year-old Ontario Provincial Police constable. Grzegorz Pirzchla at the end of December.
The accused was out on bail with an arrest warrant for violating the conditions. His past crimes include several firearms offenses and assault on a peace officer.
The Conservatives tabled an Opposition Day resolution on Thursday, calling on the government to take a series of steps to toughen its bail laws, including repealing parts of Bill C-75, which the Liberal government passed in 2019. A piece of legislation passed by A number of changes aimed at reducing judicial delays, modernizing the bail system and over-representation of people of color in prisons.
In the motion, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre argued that Bill C-75 brought changes that “force judges to release violent, repeat offenders back to the streets, allowing them to re-offend”. Is.”
Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday morning, Conservative MP Raquel Dancho accused the government of moving too slowly – especially after Pierzchalla’s death.
“I haven’t heard anything to satisfy me that (the government) is going to do something in the next few weeks, few months to make some changes,” Dancho said.
The calls are not coming only from conservatives.
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) issued a press release in January calling for “legislative reforms, including the bail process involving violent repeat offenders and violent firearms offences.”
In a January 13 letter, Canada’s premier also called for bail reforms related to firearms offences.
Toronto Mayor John Tory has also issued a petition for change.
But the issues that are there are not ones that can be fixed overnight, Lametti said.
The Minister of Justice said in the first debate, “I am dismayed that the Official Opposition is using tragedies to try to make political gains.”
“Canadians know these are serious and complex issues and there are no quick or easy solutions.”
Does Canada need stricter bail laws? Officer’s death prompts calls for reform
Nestlé Will Slice, Chop and Freeze Sales of Delissio, Lean Cuisine in Canada
Lamety said work is already underway to consider the premier’s call for toughening bail reforms.
One of those calls is to establish “reverse onus” for bail on additional offences.
“I can assure this House that I am seriously considering it and work is going on well. We have also heard the demand for law enforcement reform. I look forward to their recommendations based on frontline experience. Grateful,” he said.
“Work is underway to develop legislative and non-legislative options to address the particular challenges of repeat violent offenders.”
Meanwhile, some legal experts argue that tougher bail laws across the board may actually be making the public less safe – and forcing more legally innocent people to suffer.
“We don’t want to imprison people who are found not guilty. We don’t want to imprison innocent people,” said Michael Spratt, a criminal defense lawyer in Ottawa, speaking with Global News when the first January In the beginning, the demand for bail reform was raised.
Spratt said that being in remand actually “increases recidivism rates”, meaning individuals are “more likely to re-offend when they are eventually released”.
Spending time in custody, even for a short time, can result in loss of income, housing, employment and social contacts. For a 2014 report by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association,
All those things are “stabilizing factors”, he said, that contribute to “individual success and community security”.
Spratt expressed similar concerns.
“If someone is cut off from the community, cut off from employment, cut off from family, exposed to violence, exposed to negative influences in custody, they are more likely to re-offend. Chances are high,” he said.
According to 2018-19 data from Statistics Canada, there were 70 per cent more adults in remand – meaning they were denied bail – on average than adults who were there because they were convicted of a crime .
Crime and the TTC: A look back at troubling recent incidents involving Toronto’s transit system
Young couple dancing in viral video sentenced to long jail term in Iran
For some of these people, the time spent in remand has forced them to make some difficult decisions.
“How many times have I had to have difficult conversations with clients where they are innocent,” Spratt said.
“I tell them that they can win their case because the evidence is in our favor but they have been denied bail… either because of past record or (they) have no stable address or because they Marginalized in some way.”
But then, when his client is told that his trial will go on for months and if he pleads guilty he could be released today – despite Spratt’s confidence that he can win his case – many choose immediate freedom.
“Incentives to plead guilty and accept responsibility for what you didn’t do – even if it means you could get a record or lose employment opportunities, or lose housing opportunities or travel or your Can lose the ability to raise children – very heavy, because the conditions in prison are so Dickensian,” Spratt said.
– With files from Global News’ Aya Al-Hakim