Victims’ Rights Advocates Weigh In on Ottawa’s Plan to Axe Minimum Sentences
New legislation introduced by the Liberals would eliminate many minimum sentences for drug offences and some gun-related crimes, a move that has drawn a mixed response from victims’ rights advocates.
Introduced Feb. 18, Bill C-22 seeks to repeal mandatory minimum penalties (MMPs) for 14 Criminal Code offences, including 11 involving firearms. All six minimum penalties in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act would be repealed.
The reforms aim to eliminate minimum sentences that are associated with the overrepresentation of indigenous, black, and marginalized Canadians in the criminal justice system, the government says.