(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – A majority of adults in Canada endorse the concept of mandatory minimum sentences, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 61 per cent of respondents believe the idea is good because it establishes specific penalties that cannot be changed.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – A majority of adults in Canada endorse the concept of mandatory minimum sentences, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 61 per cent of respondents believe the idea is good because it establishes specific penalties that cannot be changed.
Conversely, 22 per cent consider mandatory minimum sentences are a bad idea, because they take away the discretion of judges to assess the specific merits of each case.
Canadians renewed the House of Commons in October 2008. The Conservative party—led by Stephen Harper—received 37.6 per cent of the vote, and secured 143 seats in the 308-member lower house. Harper assembled a minority administration. The Tories also earned a minority mandate after the 2006 election, ending more than 12 years of government by the Liberal party.
During its previous and current terms, the Conservative government has sought to amend existing sentencing guidelines and proposed to establish mandatory minimums for offences related to the drug trade. The government has also proposed scrapping the "faint-hope" clause—which allows people convicted of murder to apply for early release after 15 years in prison—and ending house arrest for non-personal injury crimes.
On Jun. 5, Canadian justice minister Rob Nicholson explained the rationale for some of the changes, saying, "By ending ‘faint hope’ reviews, we are saying ‘No’ to early parole for murders. We are also sparing families the pain of attending repeated parole eligibility hearings and having to relive these unspeakable tragedies, over and over again."
Polling Data
Some people believe mandatory minimum sentences are a good idea, because they establish specific penalties that cannot be changed. Other people think mandatory minimum sentences are a bad idea, because they take away the discretion of judges to assess the specific merits of each case. Overall, which side do you tend to agree with the most?
|
Mandatory minimum sentences are a good idea
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61%
|
|
Mandatory minimum sentences are a bad idea
|
22%
|
|
Not sure
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17%
|
Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,002 Canadian adults, conducted on Jun. 19 and Jun. 20, 2009. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
