14.52°C Vancouver

Dec 1, 2023 5:44 PM - The Canadian Press

Liberal justice minister accepts Senate changes to government bail-reform bill

Share On
liberal-justice-minister-accepts-senate-changes-to-government-bail-reform-bill
Instead of a Crown prosecutor having to prove in court why an accused person should stay behind bars until their trial, the person who has been charged must show why they should be released. (Photo: The Canadian Press)

The federal government's bail-reform legislation is on its way to becoming law. Justice Minister Arif Virani urged MPs to accept the amendments to Bill C-48 on Thursday and they did so unanimously.

The Liberal government introduced the bill earlier this year in the face of sustained calls from all provincial leaders and many police chiefs to make bail more difficult to access for repeat violent offenders. The bill expands the use of reverse-onus provisions for certain offenders.

It means, instead of a Crown prosecutor having to prove in court why an accused person should stay behind bars until their trial, the person who has been charged must show why they should be released.

The provision is being expanded to include more firearms and weapons offences, and more circumstances in which the alleged crime involves intimate partner violence. Indigenous and Black legal advocacy groups warn making bail harder to obtain risks increasing the overrepresentation of Black and Indigenous people behind bars, along with people who have mental illnesses or who are otherwise disadvantaged.

Latest news

saskatchewan-apologizes-to-former-students-of-boarding-school
BCSep 29, 2025

Saskatchewan apologizes to former students of boarding school

The Saskatchewan government is officially saying sorry to survivors and families for its role in the historical abuse and trauma that occurred at a boarding school for Metis and First Nations children. Premier Scott Moe says the province has also agreed to pay $40 million to former students of the Ile-a-la-Crosse Boarding School and their families. The school, northwest of Saskatoon, operated from the 1820s until it burned down in the 1970s. School survivors have said they were banned from speaking their language and were frequently beaten if they did, resulting in the loss of their
vancouver-whitecaps-and-vancouver-fc-face-off-in-the-canadian-championship-final
BCSep 29, 2025

Vancouver Whitecaps and Vancouver FC face-off in the Canadian championship final

The Vancouver Whitecaps will face Vancouver FC in the TELUS Canadian Championship final, this Wednesday, October 1 at 7 p.m. at BC Place Stadium. The Vancouver Whitecaps team recently won the Cascadia Cup for the 8th time, setting a record. The Whitecaps will now be eyeing a fourth consecutive Canadian championship title. The Vancouver Whitecaps won the semi-finals against Forge FC by an aggregate score of 6-2 in the two matches and the team enters the final with strong momentum. Vancouver FC in a huddle during a match of Canadian championship. (Photo - Vancouver FC)However, Vancouver FC from
charger-fails-to-dodge-richmond-rcmp-for-second-time
BCSep 29, 2025

Charger fails to dodge Richmond RCMP for second time

Richmond RCMP Road Safety Unit impounds vehicle a second time as it fails to dodge police enforcement. On September 20, 2025, officers from the Richmond RCMP Road Safety Unit (RSU) were conducting targeted enforcement in east Richmond when an RSU officer stopped a vehicle driving 99km/hr in a 50km/h zone. The vehicle was impounded for excessive speed, and the driver received a violation ticket in the amount of $368, plus the additional cost of towing, impound, and driver premium points. Of note, the officer recalled stopping the exact same vehicle almost exactly one year ago for speeding on Hw
jobs-minister-urges-canada-post-to-table-new-offer-to-striking-union
CanadaSep 29, 2025

Jobs minister urges Canada Post to table new offer to striking union

Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu is urging Canada Post to quickly table an offer to the union of striking postal workers. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers took to the picket lines Thursday after Ottawa announced sweeping changes to the Crown corporation's operations to address its troubled financial situation. Those changes include ending daily mail delivery and moving almost all Canadian households to community mailboxes, moves the union calls a direct attack on workers. In an interview today, Hajdu did not rule out federal intervention to end the latest strike but also said Canada Post needs to
BCSep 29, 2025

One man dead and one injured in serious crash

Police are investigating after a two-vehicle collision claimed the life of one driver and seriously injured another Saturday afternoon. On September 27, 2025 at 1:30 p.m., the Oceanside RCMP received a report of a serious two-vehicle crash on Highway 4 near Cameron Lake. An eastbound Honda Civic appeared to have lost control on a series of curves where it impacted with a westbound Chevy Impala. The Civic subsequently became engulfed in flames and the sole occupant died at the scene. The driver of the Impala, a 70-year-old Alberta man, was extricated and taken to hospital with serious, potentia

Related News