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PM Carney’s Plan to Combat Crime

The criminal legislation of Prime Minister Carney’s (Nepean, ON) government intends to bolster the Criminal Code, with a slew of measures. This essay will focus on two key areas, namely: bail reform and consecutive sentencing. In addition, a case study will demonstrate how an old provision tabled by the Harper government aimed to enshrine consecutive sentencing into law, but was struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada. Lastly, this article will aim to explore the possible legal challenges that may arise, most specifically in regards to the presumption of innocence and charter rights, federal-provincial relations, and political as opposed to evidence-based legal justification.

Posted On : Published By : Charles McKaig
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Free Speech: a Tool for the Oppressed or the Oppressors?

Freedom of expression, while legislated to a greater or lesser degree depending on the state in question, remains a foundational right of every liberal democracy in the world. The wide adoption of this humanistic ideal between the 18th and 19th centuries revolutionized a formerly exclusive landscape of social and political expression. The issue then was a generally monolithic and massively repressive social order, to which the codification of free speech provided a necessary counterbalance. The issue today, in our increasingly interconnected world, however, is a new hazard of informational liberty. The dizzying scale of online informational resources and opinion sharing platforms has massively diluted the quality and integrity of our political discourse. The apparent question, then… does free speech always make us more free?

Posted On : Published By : John Bollinger