Federal Justice Minister speaking about cyber-bullying this week, indicating the Conservative government will continue with policies to combat crime.
Photo Credit: CBC

More “get tough on crime” legislation

Heinous crimes committed in Canada will likely soon be treated more harshly.

A Conservative private member’s bill, has received support of the government. It would make the triple crime of abduction, rape, and murder punishable by up to 40 years in jail

The  bill called the “Respecting Families of Murdered and Brutalized Persons Act”, would not allow parole for at least 25 years and gives judges the discretion to increase that to 40 years.

Federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said it would spare the families and loved ones of murdered victims, “from being retraumatized from repeated parole applications from convicted murderers.”

The private members bill was introduced by Conservative MP James Bezan in February. He said it was not about “mandatory minimum sentencing,” noting that people convicted of such heinous crimes, such as Robert Pickton, Russell Williams, Michael Rafferty, Paul Bernardo and Clifford Olson,   almost never get out of jail anyway.  He said the bill would avoid the families and loved ones from having to relive the terrible experiences every two years once the offender becomes eligible to seek parole.

Following the Boston bombing, and the arrest of two potential terrorists in Canada,  the federal government brought back a somewhat dormant anti-terror bill that resurrected two controversial post-9/11 laws. The bill which was speedily passed this week, now gives police new powers to make preventative arrests and compel witnesses to give testimony at secret investigative hearings. Bill S-7 also makes it a crime for Canadians to leave the country or attempt to leave the country to engage in terrorist activities.

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