Fletcher Welcomes important Justice reforms

May 01, 2008

WINNIPEG — Steven Fletcher, Member of Parliament for Charleswood–St. James–Assiniboia and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, welcomes the three important provisions of the Tackling Violent Crime Act that came into force today.

“After two long years of Liberal delay and obstruction in the House of Commons and the Senate, our tackling violent crime legislation is finally coming into force” said Fletcher. “Our Government is proud to have pushed for these changes for the past two years. Today, families and communities in Winnipeg and across Canada can start to feel safer.”

The three sections that come into force today will provide for:

• Better protection for youth from adult sexual predators by increasing the age of protection for sexual activity from 14 years to 16 years;
• Tougher mandatory jail time for serious gun crimes; and
• New bail provisions which require those accused of serious gun crimes to show why they should not be kept in jail while awaiting trial.
  

The two remaining provisions of the Act that come into force on July 2nd will provide for:

• More effective sentencing and monitoring to prevent dangerous, high-risk offenders from offending again; and
• New ways to detect and investigate drug-impaired driving as well as stronger penalties for impaired driving.