B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said proposed changes to Canada’s bail laws reflect the province’s push for tougher rules targeting repeat and violent offenders.
The federal Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, introduced Thursday, would make more than 80 changes to the Criminal Code, including stricter bail provisions in cases of violent extortion and intimate partner violence.
It bill includes several new reverse onuses – meaning that in certain cases, the accused would have to prove why they should be released on bail. Those include in cases of assault and sexual assault involving choking, suffocating or strangulation.
Sharma said she hopes it will prevent tragedies like the death of Bailey McCourt from happening again.
The 32-year-old mother died in hospital after a July 4 hammer attack in Kelowna. McCourt’s former partner, James Plover, is charged with second-degree murder in her death. The attack happened just hours after Plover was convicted on charges related to a 2024 incident, including assault by choking, and was released on bail.
“My hope is that this means that what happened to Bailey will never happen again in this province or this country,” said Sharma on Thursday.
The bill also includes expanded sentencing tools. A sentencing judge would be required to consider consecutive sentences for repeat violent offenders, in certain cases. It also expands the onus for offenders with other convictions within the previous 10 years, up from five years.
Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas is among several B.C. mayors who have pushed for stricter bail and sentencing laws targeting repeat offenders.
“It is encouraging to see the proposed federal bail reforms include a focus on violent and repeat offending including organized retail theft, break and enter, and auto-theft,” said Dyas in a statement.
He also lauds changes that would require courts to consider the number or seriousness of outstanding charges when determining whether to release an offender on bail.
“I am hopeful this legislation will provide the tools needed to improve safety and restore confidence in the justice system — priorities we continue to advance through our advocacy,” said Dyas.
Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said the legislation is long overdue, particularly the increase reverse onus provisions, but it won’t be a “silver bullet.”
“These laws won’t be worth the paper they’re written on if we don’t have resources in place with police and Crown, to make sure they’re actually applied,” said West.
The president of the B.C. Crown Counsel Association, Adam Dalrymple said a panel last month at the Union of B.C. Municipalities that prosecutors in the province are overwhelmed as their numbers haven’t kept pace with population growth. He called for more prosecutors and resources are needed to keep up with the high amount of evidence coming from police.
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