Crime is up. Is bail reform the solution?
Violent crime in Canada is up, but how big of a problem are repeat offenders? We’re looking at the Liberals’ latest bail reform plan.
Violent crime is up in Canada. The country's homicide rate jumped 42 per cent from 2013 to 2021, and attacks have increased on public transit.
With crime in the headlines, public safety has become a real concern for many Canadians. Last week, federal Justice Minister David Lametti introduced new bail-reform legislation to address that anxiety. If passed, Bill C-48 would make it more difficult for some repeat violent offenders to get released from prison on bail.
But reviews for the plan are mixed. Today, CBC parliamentary bureau reporter JP Tasker and Vancouver-based criminal defence lawyer Kyla Lee take us through the Liberals' bail reform legislation and the political pressure campaign that preceded it.