The federal government is introducing bail changes for criminals charged with a serious violent offence to face reverse onus conditions in order to get bail. That means they have to prove to the court why they should be released.
The changes are being met with mixed reaction.
Dr. Adrienne Peters, a criminologist and faculty member in the Department of Sociology at Memorial University, is concerned with basing public policy on a few high-profile cases where violent offenders have re-offended and left people dead.
Dr. Adrienne Peter (Photo via Twitter)
Dr. Peters says making changes that affects people’s lives, liberty and freedom in the interest of political popularity is not sound policy.
Putting the onus on the person who is charged to explain which they should be granted bail is a major red flag, she says.
