Reform bail and sentencing
Petitioners ask the Government to repeal C-5 and C-75, reform bail to detain dangerous repeat and violent offenders, and expand mandatory minimum sentences for repeat and violent crimes. The government responds it introduced Bill C-14.
Why we would sign this petition
- Keeps dangerous repeat and violent offenders detained, which would directly reduce their presence in communities and streets.
- Tougher sentencing and expanded mandatory minimums could increase accountability and reduce the perceived “revolving door” of releases.
- Repealing C-5 and C-75 targets the specific laws petitioners identify as enabling frequent releases.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Stricter bail and mandatory minimums risk eroding presumption of innocence and due process by increasing pre-trial detention.
- Mandatory minimums limit judicial discretion and can produce disproportionate sentences that may not fit individual cases.
- Harsher criminal measures may not address root causes of crime and could divert resources from prevention, rehabilitation, or policing alternatives.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA WHEREAS: • Residents of Edmonton Alberta have faced significant challenges as violent crime, chaos, and disorder take over the neighborhoods; • Edmonton's crime and disorder are seen to be worse than other centres in Canada; • Recent surveys have reported that 72 per cent of Edmontonians say they would feel unsafe taking transit alone after dark; • As of Oct. 31, 2025, there have been 119 shootings, a 13% increase from the 105 reported during the same period in 2024; and • Edmonton residents feel unsafe in their homes and on their streets. WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, citizens of Canada, CALL UPON THE Government of Canada to: 1. Reform the 'catch-and-release' bail system to prevent dangerous, repeat, and violent offenders from serving their sentences in their community; 2. Expand the qualifications for mandatory minimum sentencing in cases of repeat and violent offenders; and 3. Repeal catch-and-release laws C-5 and C-75, keep violent offenders locked behind bars and end the revolving door justice system.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY PATRICIA LATTANZIO Everyone deserves to live in a society that is safe and where the criminal justice system protects them and functions as intended. The Government knows that bail and sentencing are issues that are top-of-mind for many people in Canada, along with calls to make bail laws stricter and sentencing laws tougher to address repeat and violent offending. That is why, on October 23, 2025, the Government introduced Bill C-14, the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, which is the result of extensive collaboration between the federal government, provinces and territories, and law enforcement partners. The Bill would deliver on the Government’s commitment to urgently advance legislative reforms that strengthen public safety and promote confidence in the criminal justice system. To establish a stricter bail system, Bill C-14 would create new reverse onuses at bail for violent and organized crime-related auto theft, break and enter of a home, trafficking in persons, human smuggling, extortion involving violence, as well as assault and sexual assault involving choking, suffocating, or strangulation. Additionally, Bill C-14 would direct police and courts to not release an accused person when detention is needed for public safety reasons, including protecting victims or witnesses. Courts would also be required to impose weapons prohibitions at bail for those accused of extortion and organized crime, unless such prohibitions are not required for public safety reasons. Bill C-14 would also toughen sentencing laws for repeat, serious, and violent crimes. For example, the proposed amendments would require consecutive sentences – meaning that an offender would serve one sentence after another, instead of serving sentences for multiple offences at the same time – for violent auto theft and break and enter, and extortion and arson. The legislation would also permit consecutive sentences for repeat and violent offending and end conditional sentences (also known as house arrest) for serious sexual offences, including those against children. New aggravating factors at sentencing would also apply to crimes against first responders, retail theft, and theft or mischief that harms essential infrastructure. The Government is also advancing legislative reforms to better protect victims. On December 9, 2025, the Government introduced Bill C-16, The Protecting Victims Act, to strengthen victims’ rights, better protect survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence, address court delays, and keep children safe from crime. Taken together, these measures represent a clear and firm commitment to support safer communities, hold offenders accountable, and strengthen public confidence in the criminal justice system.