By Canadian Press

Liberal justice minister accepts Senate changes to government bail-reform bill

Nov 30, 2023 | 3:17 PM

OTTAWA — Federal Justice Minister Arif Virani is urging the House of Commons to accept Senate amendments to the Liberal government’s bail-reform legislation and pass it into law.

Virani says the government accepts the changes, which include a new requirement that judges detail how their bail decisions take into account the circumstances of accused people who are Indigenous or members of other marginalized groups.

The minister says the Criminal Code already states that courts have to consider such factors, but the Senate heard from witnesses who said the law is not consistently applied. 

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association proposed the measure during the Senate’s study of the legislation, saying that courts often don’t do this analysis, or fail to explain how it is done.

It was one of several civil-society groups that said proposed reforms making it more difficult for some offenders to access bail could worsen the overrepresentation of Black and Indigenous offenders in prisons.

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Virani says he believes the legislation strikes the right balance between keeping Canadians safe and respecting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2023.

The Canadian Press