'Dave Wynn's law' aims to make it harder for criminals to get bail
A new private members bill prompted by the fatal shooting of an Alberta RCMP officer would make it harder for habitual criminals to make bail.
Bill C-686 is named after Const. David Wynn who was shot and killed on Jan. 17 while responding to a call at the Apex Casino in St. Albert.
It was tabled in the House of Commons by Brent Rathgeber, the MP for Edmonton-St. Albert.
Rathgeber's bill would make it mandatory for prosecutors at bail hearings to present evidence that an accused has a prior criminal history, outstanding charges and a history of failing to appear in court.
Wynn's assailant, Shawn Rehn, was out on bail at the time of the shooting.
Rathgeber said Rehn had 38 outstanding charges at the time of his death but was granted interim release without any of the prior offences being mentioned at his bail hearing.
Judges and justices of the peace can't make appropriate decisions without getting the full picture, he said.
"Without adequate information, there is no way to distinguish between a first offender, a criminal amateur, a serial offender or a hard-core criminal."
Wynn's widow Shelley MacInnis-Wynn said judges should have this information when making decisions on bail. She supports Rathgeber's efforts to change the law.
"Unfortunately it won't make things better for my husband now but hopefully this will help somebody else in the future," she said.
MacInnis-Wynn said her husband used to spend hours preparing for bail hearings so she assumed that it was standard practice to present information about an accused's background.
She said she was shocked when Rathgeber told her about the loophole in the law which makes that an option.