Justice Minister David Lametti urged senators to pass the Liberal government's proposed legislation on mandatory minimum penalties Wednesday, saying the bill would target the overrepresentation of Black and Indigenous people in the criminal justice system.
Twenty mandatory minimum penalties would be removed from the Criminal Code if the legislation passes, Lametti said during a hearing of the Senate's legal and constitutional affairs committee. They were chosen because of their exaggerated impact, he said.
Bill C-5, which passed third reading in the House of Commons in June, would amend the Criminal Code to remove mandatory minimum prison sentences for all drug convictions and for some firearms and tobacco-related offences. But some senators, including Saskatchewan Conservative Denise Batters, argued that Lametti doesn't have public support to pass the bill. "Canadians are no longer onside with your soft crime approach that’s epitomized by this bill," she said.
"There seems to be this presumption out there that everybody gets the minimum mandatory," he said in an interview after the committee hearing.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Justice minister urges senators to pass Liberal mandatory minimums billJustice Minister David Lametti urges senators to pass legislation that would remove mandatory minimum prison sentences for all drug convictions, some firearms offences
Read more »
Federal Liberal cabinet weighing whether to lift remaining COVID-19 travel measuresThe federal Liberal cabinet is considering whether to renew COVID-19 vaccine mandates and mandatory random testing for travellers.
Read more »
Federal Liberal cabinet weighing whether to lift remaining COVID-19 travel measuresOTTAWA — The federal Liberal cabinet is considering whether to renew COVID\u002D19 vaccine mandates and mandatory random testing for travellers.
Read more »
Federal Liberal cabinet weighing whether to lift remaining COVID-19 travel measuresOTTAWA — The federal Liberal cabinet is considering whether to renew COVID\u002D19 vaccine mandates and mandatory random testing for travellers.
Read more »
Five things to know about the government's plan to tackle affordability in CanadaOTTAWA — The Liberals launched the fall sitting of Parliament Tuesday by tabling two new bills with more than $4.5 billion in spending they hope will ease the…
Read more »