The federal government’s bail-reform legislation is on its way to becoming law after the House of Commons decided on Thursday to accept changes the Senate made to the bill.
Justice Minister Arif Virani urged MPs to accept the amendments to Bill C-48 on Thursday, and they did so unanimously.
The Liberal government introduced the bill earlier this year in the face of sustained calls from all provincial leaders and many police chiefs to make bail more difficult to access for repeat violent offenders.
The bill landed amid increased anxiety about public safety and a string of high-profile killings, including the slaying of Ontario Provincial Police Const. Greg Pierzchala last December.
Court documents show a man who is co-accused of first-degree murder in his death was denied bail on unrelated assault and weapons charges months before the shooting, but was released after a review. A warrant for his arrest was issued after he failed to show up for a court date, months before Pierzchala’s killing.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also mounted sustained pressure on the government over its handling of violent crime and what he described as lax justice reforms, repeating the slogan: “Jail, not bail.”
Former justice minister David Lametti introduced the bail-reform legislation in May after several meetings with his provincial counterparts.
The bill expands the use of reverse-onus provisions for certain offenders.
It means that instead of a Crown prosecutor having to prove in court why an accused person should stay behind bars until their trial, the person who has been charged has to show why they should be released.
The provision is being expanded to include more firearms and weapons offences, and more circumstances in which the alleged crime involves intimate partner violence.
The changes prompted concerns from civil society groups, including Indigenous and Black legal advocacy groups, who warned that making bail harder to obtain risks increasing the over-representation of Black and Indigenous people behind bars, along with people who have mental illnesses or who are otherwise disadvantaged.
Legal experts and prisoners’ rights advocates also voiced concerns that the government did not have evidence to prove that making bail tougher to access would increase public safety.
Since Virani was shuffled into his role in the summer, he has defended the provisions as taking a targeted approach in response to unanimous community concerns.
He did that again on Thursday.
“Canadians expect laws that both keep them safe and respect rights enshrined in the (Charter of Rights and Freedoms),” he told MPs on Thursday.
“I believe we have struck that balance.”
READ ALSO: Liberals’ bail-reform bill sparks concerns about need for more legal aid funding
READ ALSO: Trudeau says Ottawa looking at bail reform after letter from premiers demands action
