Canada's Liberal bail reform legislation has cleared its final hurdle and become law. Bill C-14 has received royal assent, and according to the Attorney General and Justice Minister, it is now up to the provinces and judges to carry it out.
The federal government noted that provincial governments were among the first to demand the changes. Officials said the provinces know there will be an obligation on them to run their own systems, yet they still asked Ottawa to make the changes because they believe it will promote public safety.
The legislation also toughens punishments for a range of offences. Consecutive sentences are now required for crimes such as violent auto theft, break-and-enter, extortion or arson, as well as for repeat violent offenders.
Sentencing will further have to weigh the context of certain crimes. Courts will need to consider whether an offence was committed against a first responder, or whether it involves organized retail theft.
For the Conservatives, however, the measure does not go far enough. They acknowledged that C-14 took a small step but said they want to solve the problem, pointing to what they call the remnants of Bill C-75 on release under the least onerous conditions and Bill C-5, which they say allows people who carry out drive-by shootings to serve sentences under house arrest, warning of a system where the innocent wait years in jail before trial.
From the opposite side, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association warned the reform will inevitably lead to an increase in prison populations. The association estimated that 76% of those currently in prison are people who have been denied bail and have yet to go to trial.
Concerns were also raised about the law's durability. Shakir Rahim, who testified to the House and Senate on C-14, said he does not believe it would survive a constitutional challenge, arguing that it applies to people who have never been convicted of a criminal offence and who are not the high-risk, repeat violent offenders often cited in the debate.