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Government of Canada introduces bill to ensure serious time for the most serious crime
OTTAWA, April 20, 2010 – The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and Mr. Daniel Petit, M.P. for Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice today announced legislation to ensure serious time for the most serious crime: a bill to repeal the “faint-hope clause” that allows murderers to obtain early parole. “Our government is taking action to ensure serious time for the most serious crime,” said Minister Nicholson. “Ending faint-hope reviews will put a stop to early parole for murderers. The families of murder victims will no longer have to suffer the anguish of attending repeated early parole eligibility hearings.” Eliminating the faint-hope clause would ensure that criminals who commit first-degree murder would not be eligible for parole until they serve the full 25 years of their sentence. Similarly, offenders serving life imprisonment for second-degree murder would no longer be eligible for parole until their parole ineligibility period is served, which could be up to 25 years. “This bill is another step forward in protecting the rights of victims of crime,” said Daniel Petit. “Our government agrees with Canadians: the justice system must not put the rights of criminals ahead of the rights of law-abiding citizens.” Once this legislation comes into force, offenders who commit murder on or after the day will no longer be eligible for early parole under the faint-hope regime and those who are currently serving their life sentence or awaiting sentence will face tougher rules when they apply. An online version of the legislation will be available at www.parl.gc.ca
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