Criminal Justice System

The Safe Streets and Communities Act: Cruelty and Intolerance at its Worst

2010 closed with the 32nd consecutive drop in both the rate and the severity of crime across Canada (Statistics Canada, 2011). Despite this, Prime Minister Stephen Harper ‘s conservative government has reintroduced their much anticipated law and order agenda in the form of one colossal crime bill. Bill C10, the "Safe Streets and Communities Act" (Parliament of Canada, 2011) combines nine of the former Bills which had failed to pass into law due to opposition and repeated prorogues of parliament. Other criminal law bills which failed to pass previously were introduced separately. They focus on tightening both our online freedoms and Canadian immigration law.

This Time it Matters

For more than two decades I was a soldier in the War on Drugs. In the course of my career, I have helped put drug users and dealers in jail; I have presided over the break-up of families; I have followed the laws of my state and country, and have seen their results.

At one point, I held the record for the largest drug prosecution in the Los Angeles area: 75 kilos of heroin, which was and is a lot of narcotics.

But today the record is 18 tons. I have prosecuted some people, and later sentenced others, to long terms in prison for drug offenses, and would do so again.

Thrown under the Omnibus

Patricia Allard, Deputy Director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network

Thrown under the Omnibus

Greg Simmons, advocate for prisoners’ rights.

Omnibus Bill

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