News Canada - Government introduces legislation to end all mandatory minimum sentences for drug offences

[S.J.B.]

Liberals introduce legislation to end some mandatory minimum sentences

The Liberal government has tabled legislation to eliminate mandatory minimum penalties for a number of tobacco, firearms and drug offences.

The bill would eliminate mandatory minimum penalties (MMPs) for 14 of the 67 offences in the Criminal Code that currently carry them — 13 for firearms offences and one for a tobacco offence.

The bill also would eliminate all six MMPs for offences under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. MMPs would remain for murder, high treason, impaired driving and sexual offences, as well as a number of firearms offences.

The bill is identical to Bill C-22, introduced in February of this year. That legislation died on the order paper when the federal election was called in the fall.

"With Bill C-5, we are turning the page on the policy of the former government. It is a policy that in the end did not discourage crime or make our justice system more efficient or more fair," Justice Minister David Lametti said today.

CBC
Peter Zimonjic
7 Dec 2021