Printer Friendly

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2012

OTTAWA – The Canadian Bar Association (CBA) will present its concerns regarding Bill C-10, Safe Streets and Communities Act, to the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, in Room 257, East Block, at 4:15 p.m.

The CBA has opposed the legislation since it was first introduced last fall, suggesting that the Bill’s approach is contrary to what is known to lead to a safer society, and would move Canada along a road that has failed in other countries. 

The CBA’s concerns include:

• impact on northern residents, Aboriginal Peoples and those with mental illness;
• inclusion of mandatory minimum sentences;
• overreliance on incarceration;
• constraints on judges’ discretion to ensure a fair result in each case; and
• costs of implementation.

Dan MacRury of Sydney, N.S., Chair of the CBA’s National Criminal Justice Section, will present the CBA submission to the Senate Committee. The submission is available on the CBA website.

Previous news releases on Bill C-10:

• CBA raises serious concerns with omnibus criminal bill (Sept. 20, 2011)
• CBA offers critique of Bill C-10 to Parliamentary committee (Oct.17, 2011)

The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to support for the rule of law, and improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 lawyers, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.