Toews pleased with justice reforms
Posted By Greg Vandermeulen
Posted 28 days ago
Despite the Ignatieff Liberals attempt to gut this bill, it will soon be the new law of the land. - Vic Toews
Despite senate attempts to change Bill C-25 (the initiative that limits the amount of credit granted for time served in custody prior to conviction and sentencing), the bill received royal assent on Oct. 23.
Provencher MP, and president of the Treasury Board, Vic Toews was pleased the legislation is close to becoming a reality.
However, he lashed out at Liberal senators for attempting to water down the bill. “This is a very important piece of legislation that our government has been championing for a long time,” he said. “Despite the Ignatieff Liberals attempt to gut this bill, it will soon be the new law of the land.”
Toews referred to the length of time it took to get a crime bill approved by the minority government.
“Finally we’ve been able to take another step in restoring Canadians’ confidence in our justice system,” he said.
The legislation will make it a general rule that the amount of credit for time served be capped at a 1-to-1 ratio or one day of credit for each day an individual has spent in custody prior to sentencing.
The legislation permits credit to be given at a ratio of up to 1.5 where circumstances justify it although courts are required to explain the circumstances that justified the higher ratio.
Much of the time spent in prison before sentencing is because the system is backlogged.
This legislation does not address that issue.
Instead, MPs are focusing on the criminals themselves. “We can all be proud that criminals will soon be serving sentences that more properly reflect the severity of their crimes,” Toews said.
