B.C. premier welcomes plans to reform bail system, calls on parliament to pass proposed legislation swiftly
'This can't be a bill that is partisan in nature. It needs to be all hands on deck': David Eby
British Columbia's premier says he welcomes the Liberals' new bail-reform legislation, which includes new measures that would make it more difficult for some repeat violent offenders to get released on bail.
Justice Minister David Lametti introduced the bill Tuesday saying it responds "directly'' to concerns raised by premiers, police associations and victims' rights groups
Bill C-48 would amend the Criminal Code so that those charged with a serious violent offence involving a weapon — one with a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment — who were convicted of a similar offence within the last five years will face a reverse onus to get bail.
"Reverse onus" means the accused would have to show why they should be released instead of the prosecution having to prove that they should remain behind bars.
B.C. Premier David Eby said Tuesday that his government has been at the forefront of pushing for changes to keep repeat offenders in jail.
He said bills can often become locked in partisan political debate in the House of Commons or move slowly through the Senate, but this shouldn't happen with bail reform.
"This can't be one of those bills,'' said Eby.
"This can't be a bill that is partisan in nature. It needs to be all hands on deck to ensure it's responsive to the concerns that we're seeing across the country. The premiers across the country have spoken out and I don't think it will be acceptable to anybody from any political party if this bill becomes a political football or gets stuck in the Senate.''
The proposed law would also expand the use of reverse onus for firearm and intimate partner violence offences, and allow courts to take into consideration community safety and an accused's history of violence when making a bail decision.
Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Battered Women's Support Services in Vancouver, says it's too soon to gauge the impact of the new bail-reform legislation.
"The challenge is always in the implementation and the follow-through," MacDougall said.
B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said the province is making efforts to deal with repeat offenders.
Last month, the province announced it is creating hubs made of police, dedicated prosecutors and probation officers to target repeat violent offenders.
The 12 hubs are part of the Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative, which the province says will focus on targeted enforcement and enhanced investigation and monitoring and will be tailored to meet the needs of communities.
With files from Meera Bains, Richard Raycraft and Canadian Press