PRIME Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday announced the government’s intent to introduce legislation to keep Canadian families and their communities safe by ensuring that the most heinous criminals will be sentenced to life behind bars without possibility of parole.
Harper was joined by Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and Roxanne James, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
The government says that Canadians expect it to protect them from the worst type of criminals, those who truly deserve to be called a menace to society. Individuals who commit the most heinous crimes, such as: those who plot kidnapping or sexual assault that results in murder; those with such contempt for law and order that they kill the police and correctional officers who are charged with protecting our streets; those who despise our values and way of life that carry out deadly acts of terrorism; and those who commit crimes of a particularly brutal nature.
That is why the government will introduce legislation to amend the Criminal Code to ensure that Canada’s most heinous criminals – those whose actions mean we cannot risk permitting them on the streets – receive a life sentence with no chance for parole.
This legislation will follow through on the 2013 Speech from the Throne commitment to ensure that a life sentence means a sentence for life, building on the Government’s ongoing commitment to keep Canada’s streets and communities safe by holding violent offenders accountable and ensuring that the rights of victims are placed over the rights of criminals.
Harper also recently announced the government’s intention to introduce legislation that would end the practice of making early release available for repeat violent offenders.
“Our government believes in standing up for victims of crime and their families, putting their rights and interests ahead of those of criminals, and that a prison sentence should mean what it says. To this end, we are working to ensure that the Canadian justice system no longer allows the worst criminals to pose a risk to you, your children, and our communities. I am proud to announce that next week our government will introduce legislation to ensure that the most heinous criminals who commit the most horrific crimes face serious criminal penalties, and that a life sentence in Canada will mean exactly that: a sentence for life,” said Harper.