OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Nov. 20, 2012) - The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announced today amendments that eliminate conditional sentences for serious and violent crimes - the final component of the Safe Streets and Communities Act - have come into force.
"Our Government has a strong record of putting victims first, getting tough on serious and violent offenders, and keeping our streets and communities safe," said Minister Nicholson. "House arrest should not be available for offenders of serious crimes like sexual assault, kidnapping, and human trafficking. Those who commit these violent crimes must serve their time behind bars, not in the comfort of their homes and that is exactly the issue this legislation corrects."
The Criminal Code outlines the circumstances when a conditional sentence can be imposed. The amendments in this component of Safe Streets and Communities Act maintain these conditions and expand the list describing when a conditional sentence is not available, including:
The Government introduced the Safe Streets and Communities Act on September 20, 2011, fulfilling its commitment to expeditiously introduce several law-and-order bills aimed at combating crime and terrorism. The Safe Streets and Communities Act received Royal Assent on March 13, 2012.
An online version of the legislation can be found at www.parl.gc.ca.
(Version française disponible)
Backgrounder
Safe Streets & Communities Act:
Ending House Arrest for Property and Other Serious Crimes
Safe Streets and Communities Act
The Government introduced the Safe Streets and Communities Act on September 20, 2011, fulfilling its commitment to "move quickly to re-introduce comprehensive law-and-order legislation to combat crime and terrorism." The Safe Streets and Communities Act received Royal Assent on March 13, 2012. The criminal law amendments in this legislation will make communities safer by:
Ending House Arrest for Property and Other Serious Crimes
As part of its commitment to hold criminals accountable and ensure the safety and security of Canadians, the Government introduced comprehensive legislation which includes reforms to the Criminal Code designed to restrict the use of conditional sentences. A conditional sentence is a sentence of imprisonment of less than two years that may be served in the community - for example, under house arrest - provided certain conditions are met.
A conditional sentence can be imposed only if:
Conditional sentences cannot be imposed for the following categories (or types) of indictable offences that are punishable by a maximum of 10 years imprisonment or more:
The Safe Streets & Communities Act maintains these conditions and expands the list of offences for which conditional sentences are no longer be available.
The list of offences for which conditional sentences will not be available is as follows:
Contact Information: