Manitoba leaders weigh in on federal bail reform

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plan to beef up the RCMP and crack down on violent and repeat offenders has the backing of Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham, who called the announcement “a response to the outcry of the public” and mayors such as himself.

“I’ve talked to many individuals who say they’re losing faith in the justice system. We don’t want that in our community,” he said. “Things need to change and I’m hoping that this legislation is one of the first steps to making those changes.”

Legislation to be introduced next week will make it tougher for an accused to get bail for a violent crime or an offence linked to organized crime.

The mayor started issuing “repeat offender bulletins” last month as part of his campaign to demand bail and sentencing reform. One update focused on a man who was convicted of 24 violent crimes over 11 years and violated bail or probation conditions 12 times.

Meantime, the Association of Manitoba Crown Attorneys said it’s concerned about unsustainable workloads under the new plan.

“Our experience is that, when changes are made to alter procedures or increase penalties in the Criminal Code, our work becomes more complicated and time consuming,” vice-president Ben Wickstrom said in a prepared statement.

“Increased penalties generally result in more matters being contested by accused persons, and that results in more time spent by prosecutors arguing in court,” Wickstrom said. It’s essential that the province ensures that there are sufficient prosecutors to carry out the work, he said.