Two federal ministers have rebuked premiers who have called for Ottawa to review and amend its bail legislation after another high-profile murder by a known violent criminal, telling the provinces that it’s time for them “step up and enforce the law.”
Justice Minister Arif Virani and Public Safety Minster Dominic LeBlanc made the comment in a joint statement late Wednesday, after receiving a letter signed jointly by the 13 provincial and territorial leaders demanding even tougher bail conditions than the changes the federal government passed into law last year.
“We listened to the provinces and territories when they asked for changes to the Criminal Code — now they need to step up and enforce the law,” Virani and LeBlanc said in their joint statement responding to the premiers’ letter on Wednesday night.
“Provinces are responsible for the administration of bail, and more needs to be done to make sure police and prosecutors have the tools they need for effective monitoring and enforcement.”
In the letter, the premiers thanked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government for listening to their call from the year before where they demanded the Liberals toughen up access to bail following the shooting death of Ontario Provincial Police Const. Greg Pierzchala in late 2022.
What followed was a series of meetings between federal and provincial justice ministers that culminated in then justice minister David Lametti tabling Bill C-48, to revise bail provisions in the Criminal Code, which was passed into law in December.
Among the changes it made was expanding the use of reverse-onus provisions for certain offenders, which means that a person who has been charged must show a court why he or she should be released, rather than a Crown prosecutor having to prove why the offender should stay behind bars until trial.
Premiers are now demanding more action, pointing to the recent slaying of Tori Dunn, a British Columbia woman who police allege was murdered last month by an Ontario man with a long history of criminal violence who was out on release while awaiting trial on another aggravated assault charge.
The case highlights the need for the federal government to re-evaluate its bail measures, the premiers said in their letter, pointing to how its revisions were meant to make it more difficult for repeat, violent offenders to access pre-trial release.
The two federal ministers said in their statement Wednesday that collecting data on bail lies within a province’s responsibility. During last year’s study of its bail-reform legislation, Department of Justice officials testified before a Senate committee that not all provinces do.
Shakir Rahim, who directs the criminal justice program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, says that study underscored the need for governments to work together to collect better bail data.
A spokesperson in Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s office defended the government’s action on Thursday, saying it has taken “strong action to strengthen Ontario’s bail system,” including by spending money on technology and its provincial policing squad dedicated to finding offenders in breach of their parole.
“We’re doing our part to fix a broken bail system and premiers are calling on the federal government to do their part to help keep our communities safe,” said Grace Lee.
-With files from The Canadian Press
National Post
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