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Conservative critics called the decision to limit the eligibility of parole for “extremely disappointing” mass killings.
Date Posted:
May 27, 2022 • 3 hours ago • 3 minutes of reading • 165 comments The Canadian High Court has ruled that parole eligibility sentences for mass murder will be limited to 25 years.
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OTTAWA – The Liberal government is committed to reviewing a Supreme Court decision that could reduce prison sentences for mass murder, but said they must also abide by the Supreme Court’s decision.
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In a unanimous ruling, the court ruled that the 40-year sentence imposed on Alexandre Bissonnette, the shooter who killed six people in a mosque in Quebec City, was unconstitutional because the sentences were longer than the natural life of a woman. person amounts to a cruel and unusual punishment.
The trial judge imposed that sentence after rejecting a request from the Crown for a 150-year probation period, 25 years for each of the six victims. The Quebec Court of Appeal reduced the trial judge’s 40-year sentence to 25 years before being appealed to the Supreme Court, which upheld the 25-year parole eligibility.
Cases of first-degree murder in Canada include an automatic life sentence with no possibility of parole for 25 years. On average, offenders are usually over 25 years old, but if a parole board agrees, they can be released after 25 years.
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Multiple killer Alexandre Bissonnette decided to be eligible for parole after 25 years, not 40
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Van attack killer Alek Minassian will be convicted in 2022: judge
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Here is just a partial list of the brutal killers that Canada has released
A law passed under the Harper government allowed these 25-year terms to be applied consecutively in cases of multiple murders. The higher court ruling overturns this, jeopardizing any sentence of more than 25 years.
This includes cases such as John Paul Ostamas, a Winnipeg man who pleaded guilty to killing three homeless men in 2015 and was sentenced to 75 years in prison without parole. Justin Bourque, who killed three RCMP officers in Moncton, New Brunswick, in 2014 was sentenced to 75 years without parole. Douglas Garland, convicted of killing a Calgary couple and their five-year-old grandson in 2014, also received a 75-year sentence.
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Alek Minassian, who was convicted last year for the Toronto van bombing that killed 10 people, is awaiting sentencing because the court wanted to await that Supreme Court ruling. But now his sentence will be limited to 25 years without parole.
Liberal Justice Minister David Lametti said his government has fought for a judge to be able to impose longer sentences in cases like this, but will respect the court’s decision.
“Our position was clear, we supported the discretion of a sentencing judge to impose a longer period of probation when necessary,” he said. “However, we will respect the court’s decision and carefully review its implications and the way forward.”
The court ruled that the current multi-murder conviction regime is unconstitutional, which does not prevent the government from introducing a different regime.
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Conservative MPs quickly denounced the decision. Opposition party justice critic Rob Moore and senior Quebec MP Pierre Paul Hus made a joint statement calling the decision “extremely disappointing”.
“This decision means that mass murders like Alexandre Bissonnette, a man who senselessly murdered six people at his place of worship, can be free to walk the streets. It means that Justin Bourque, a man who senselessly murdered three RCMP officers in Moncton, may be free to walk the streets, “they said. “This is unacceptable. Canada ‘s worst killers must be locked up behind bars.
This is unacceptable. Canada’s worst killers must remain locked behind bars
Moore and Paul-Hus said the Liberals should look for ways to address the issue.
“Conservatives are urging the federal government to use all the means at its disposal to ensure that the perpetrators of the mass shootings serve sentences that reflect the seriousness of their crimes.”
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Conservative leadership candidates Patrick Brown and Pierre Poilievre said they would still invoke the Charter of Rights and Freedoms clause to preserve the existing regime.
Former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who introduced the change, called for a new law.
“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court of Canada in the case of mass murderer Alexandre Bissonnette devalues the lives of its victims. This is a grave injustice that calls for parliamentary action,” he said on Twitter.
NPD MP Alexandre Boulerice said the party respects the court’s decision, but believes the government can still find a legal way to address the problem.
“The NDP respects the independence of the Court, but as federal legislators we have a responsibility to take action to fight hatred head-on and do everything in our power to prevent such a senseless tragedy from happening again,” he said. to say.
“Thoughts and prayers are not enough, we must act.”
Twitter: RyanTumilty Email: rtumilty@postmedia.com
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