In 2003 there were 3987 people serving life sentences in Canada. Out of those, only 60% were actually incarcerated. This means that in 2003 there were nearly 1600 people serving out their life sentences in the community. (Source Corrections Canada)
Bank of Montreal, Upper Canada Mall Branch rasies $1000.00 for CCVF Scholarship fund.
Porchia Lynch, Christine Stella, Lozanne Wamback, Linda Bauman
LEGISLATION
PROVIDING TOUGHER SENTENCES FOR MURDERERS COMES INTO FORCE
OTTAWA, December 1, 2011 – The Honourable Rob
Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney
General of Canada, and Robert Goguen, M.P. for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe and Parliamentary Secretary
to the Minister of Justice, announced that as of December 2nd, two
Acts which provide tougher sentences for murderers will have come into force.
The Protecting Canadians by Ending Sentence Discounts
for Multiple Murders Act ensures that multiple murderers serve their parole
ineligibility periods one after another. An Act to amend the
Criminal Code and another Act (originally called the Serious Time for
the Most Serious Crime Act) effectively repeals the “faint-hope clause” that allowed
murderers to obtain early parole.
“These two pieces of legislation are further
examples of our Government’s commitment to keeping our streets and communities
safe and ensuring truth in sentencing,” said Minister Nicholson. “Canadians
want to know that criminals are held accountable for their crimes. Making
multiple murderers serve their parole ineligibility periods one after another,
and effectively repealing the faint hope clause will do just that.”
Protecting Canadians by Ending
Sentence Discounts for Multiple Murders Act
Under the previous system, criminals convicted of
multiple murders served their parole ineligibility periods concurrently,
meaning that they were eligible to apply for parole after just one period
ranging from 10 to 25 years, depending on their sentence. The Act to end
sentence discounts allows judges to impose consecutive parole ineligibility
periods of 25 years for each victim on individuals convicted of more than one
first- or second-degree murder. This would mean that convicted multiple
murderers would need to serve a significantly longer overall period in custody
before they were eligible to apply for parole.
“Ending sentence discounts for multiple
murderers acknowledges the value of each life taken,” said Mr. Goguen.
“Our Government is standing up for victims of crime and their families by
making sure that criminals receive sentences that reflect the seriousness of
their crimes.”
First-degree murder and two categories of second-degree murder carry a mandatory life
sentence with no eligibility for parole for 25 years. The remaining categories
of second-degree murder carry a mandatory life sentence with no
eligibility for parole for a minimum of 10 years up to a maximum of 25 years.
Repealing the “faint-hope
clause”
The Serious Time for the Most
Serious Crime Act ensures
that criminals who commit first-degree murder on or after tomorrow’s date are
not eligible for parole until they serve the full 25 years of their sentence.
Similarly, offenders serving life imprisonment for second-degree murder are no longer eligible
for parole until their parole ineligibility period is served, which could be up
to 25 years.
“Families of victims should not have to relive
their losses by attending multiple early parole eligibility hearings,”
said Minister Nicholson. “This Act puts the needs of law-abiding citizens ahead of criminals,
and it spares the victimized from continually reliving their losses.”
Offenders who commit murder on or after tomorrow’s
date will no longer be able to apply to be eligible for early parole under the
faint-hope regime. Those who are currently serving their life sentence or
awaiting sentence will face tougher rules when they apply.
Minister Nicholson announces “The comprehensive bill Safe Streets and Communities Act”
The Canadian Crime Victim Foundation applauds the announcement by Minister Nicholson to provide amendments to the Canadian Criminal code to:
This initiative is not just about the interest of Canada’s crime victims or its criminals. It addresses the safety and security concerned with all Canadians in all communities across Canada.
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