SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 83

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 7, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 83 - Jun/7/22
Hon. David Lametti (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)
  • Jun/7/22 2:46:04 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, our hearts go out to victims and we will always stand with victims. With respect to the Supreme Court ruling on serious intoxication, we are looking carefully at that ruling. The Court has presented us with a number of different options, and I have already said publicly that we will evaluate those options and come back to this place. Serious crimes in this country will always carry serious consequences. The failed tough-on-crime Conservative policy needs to be put in the past, and that is precisely what we are doing.
93 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 83 - Jun/7/22
Ms. Laurel Collins (Victoria, NDP)
  • Jun/7/22 7:30:44 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for raising this really important issue. She mentioned that this happened three weeks ago, but the Ontario court actually ruled on this two years ago. Two years ago this week, my New Democrat colleague, the member for London—Fanshawe, called on the government to explore changes to the law to ensure that extreme intoxication could not be used as a defence. It has been two years, and we have been calling for the government to explore those changes. I wonder if the member can comment on how unacceptable it is that the government keeps delaying and that victims are paying the price.
111 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 83 - Jun/7/22
Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)
  • Jun/7/22 7:31:59 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, to pursue the point the hon. member for Elgin—Middlesex—London put forward, I was very troubled by the Supreme Court of Canada's decision when it came down. The more I read the decision, the more I see that the court carefully differentiated mere drunkenness from this very specific extreme intoxication defence. That does not mean I am satisfied to leave the law as it is. We obviously cannot appeal this decision. It is a Supreme Court of Canada decision, but I agree with the member for Victoria and the member for Elgin—Middlesex—London. I would suggest that we all work together across party lines, recognizing that the Supreme Court of Canada itself has invited Parliament to legislate in this area in ways that would not offend the charter, to make sure that even in cases of extreme intoxication there is no loophole for violent crimes.
154 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 83 - Jun/7/22
Hon. Rob Moore (Fundy Royal, CPC)
  • Jun/7/22 9:28:31 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I listened with interest to my colleague's speech. It was very thoughtful, and it touched on a number of really important points. There seems to be a perception among some that a decision is rendered and that is the end of the discussion. However, my colleague mentioned a charter dialogue, the appropriateness of Parliament responding and our doing our job on something that I feel, and many feel, needs to be addressed, which is this issue of a self-induced intoxication defence.
85 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 83 - Jun/7/22
Mr. Frank Caputo
  • Jun/7/22 9:29:09 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, this is an incredibly important question. My colleague raises the point about the court decision being the end of it. It is not the end of it. It is the end of the beginning, because now we move on to the next phase. The next phase is how Parliament should intervene. Parliament creates the laws, and the courts interpret them. The courts interpret law A a certain way. Now we move to law B. Law A was the beginning, and law B is the next step. It is fundamentally important that we not only understand where we were, but where we are going. Where we need to go on the issue of self-induced intoxication is with a constitutionally compliant law, perhaps rooted in criminal negligence, that ultimately protects victims and vulnerable people from situations of which we are obliged to protect them.
145 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border