Earlier today, the federal government introduced a law that makes it harder to get bail, and the B.C. government is responding to the news.
The topic of bail and bail reform has been controversial in B.C. due to the repeat offender problem that’s been particularly prolific in the Vancouver area.
We’ve spoken to B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma about bail and repeat offenders in the past, and were told the province had to wait for the federal government to make changes to how bail works before B.C. could take any significant action.
During a conference on Thursday morning, Sharma applauded the changes, adding that many of the province’s recommendations were included and believes the changes will make our streets safer.
How we got to this point
Minister of Justice and Attorney General Sean Fraser announced the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act on Thursday. It would introduce over 80 clauses of changes to the bail and sentencing framework in the Criminal Code, based on extensive consultations.
The federal changes include making it harder to get bail, including in cases of repeat and violent offending. The Act would change how the reverse onus works, meaning the starting point is detention, and the accused would have to prove why they should be released on bail.
“When considering whether to grant bail, the amendments would direct police not to release an accused when it is against the public interest or when detention is needed to protect victims, or witnesses,” explained the Department of Justice in the announcement.
How repeat and violent offenders will be handled
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Sharma addressed something that people like Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim have raised their voices about, repeat offenders, and how the new law will change the way they’re handled locally.
“There are specific changes that are about prolific offenders. So these are the types of people that mayors and councils were pointing to.”
She said that following the changes, when someone shows up in the system, the court will be directed to look at whether or not there’s a history of violence “and act accordingly.”
“We know there’s lots of work to do, but [there are lots] of things in here that are reflective of B.C. leadership that will keep repeat and violent offenders off the street and will target prolific offenders,” Sharma said today.
Sharma also spoke about how the reverse onus change would come into play, using intimate partner violence as an example, specifically if there’s suffocation or choking involved. She explained that the default under the new rules would be to hold the offender unless it is determined there’s a good reason to release them.
It remains to be seen how the changes will actually play out. How confident are you that this will keep the streets safer from repeat offenders?