Canada’s new bail and sentencing law is expected to bring tougher measures for violent and repeat offenders, according to Justice Minister Sean Fraser.
Fraser said the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, also known as Bill C‑14, received royal assent on June 15 and gives courts clearer direction when deciding bail and sentencing.
Judges will now be required to weigh the seriousness of an offence along with an accused person’s record, including previous convictions and outstanding charges.
Fraser explained the legislation introduces measures that direct courts to impose harsher penalties in cases where crimes have wider community impacts.
“That’s why we’ve designed new aggravating factors to insist that the court deliver harder sentences when people commit crimes that don’t just impact the individual victim, but cause consequences that are negative for the community as a whole,” Fraser said.
He said the new factors apply to crimes against first responders and transit workers, organized retail theft and offences targeting essential infrastructure.
Fraser said these changes respond to concerns raised by police, frontline workers and businesses dealing with rising violence and property crime.
Fraser said the reforms were shaped through months of consultations with provinces, territories, police organizations and municipal officials.
“The bill that we have put forward has gained the support of a significant number of other parties,” he said.
“Every single provincial government in Canada has endorsed and called upon the government to expeditiously adopt this bill.”
He said national policing groups have also expressed support for the legislation.
He said the law is part of a broader federal approach that includes strengthening criminal laws, supporting frontline workers and investing in long‑term measures such as housing, mental‑health supports and youth programs.
