General

Tories have youth justice system in their sights

Confidential PMO report suggests possible stiffer sentences

The Tories are seemingly preparing to reignite the debate over the treatment afforded young offenders. According to a confidential document from the Prime Minister’s Office obtained by the Ottawa Sun, the Conservatives are considering options that include mandating stiffer sentences for violent crimes and lifting publication bans for cases involving serious sex offenders. “We need to better protect our communities from violent and repeat young offenders,” the document reads. As it stand now, the report says, sentences for heinous crimes such as murder or aggravated sexual assault, are “much shorter than Canadians expect.”  Under the terms put forward by the PMO, the provinces and territories would have their own discretion to set the age at which the new laws would apply, and no one under 14 could receive an adult sentence.

Ottawa Sun

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