Transgender Justice and Bill C-16: The Unfounded Fear of Pronoun Prison
Bill C-16 added “gender identity or expression” to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination in Section 3(1) of the Canadian Human Rights Act. Second, Bill C-16 added “gender identity or expression” to the protected identifiable groups listed under the hate propaganda provisions in Section 318(4) of the Criminal Code.Lastly, Bill C-16 also modified Section 718.2(a)(i) of the Criminal Code to classify a criminal offence motivated by bias based on “gender identity or exp
Aiming Arbitrarily: The Flawed Ban on “Assault-Style” Weapons
In order to ensure the safety of Canadian citizens, it is important that Canada maintains thoughtful regulations that control the legal usage of firearms. But for any such regulations to be thoughtful, they cannot be arbitrary.Canada’s federal government recently placed an immediate ban on 1,500 different models and variants of specific “assault-style” firearms. The ban prohibits citizens with a firearms license from selling, transporting, importing or using any of the numero
Sentencing of Indigenous Offenders in Canada
Section 718.2(e) was added to the Criminal Code to remedy the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in criminal custody. Section 718.2(e) provides that “all available sanctions, other than imprisonment, that are reasonable in the circumstances and consistent with the harm done to victims or to the community should be considered for all offenders, with particular attention to the circumstances of Aboriginal offenders”.
Mandatory Victim Surcharges: Cruel and Unusual Punishment or Beneficial Program?
In December 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada decided the case R v Boudreault. The case involved a Charter challenge of the mandatory victim fine surcharge that was in place. This law required every offender who was found guilty of a crime to pay a minimum surcharge of $100 for summary offences and $200 for indictable offences.
Plea Bargaining: What it Is, Who it Helps, and its Role in R v Anthony
Author: Yuet AI Plea bargaining is a process in which the “Crown and defence council agree to recommend a particular sentence to the judge, in exchange for the accused entering a plea of guilty.[1] Plea bargaining is a crucially important part of the criminal justice system because when properly conducted, they permit the system to function smoothly and efficiently.[2] They help to resolve a vast majority of criminal cases, contribute to a fair and efficient justice system, a
