Conservatives, Liberals Plan Bail Reform Bills This Fall Canada

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced that his party will introduce the "Jail Not Bail Act" this fall, aiming to make it harder for people accused of serious crimes such as sexual assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, home invasion, and firearms offenses to obtain bail. The proposed legislation would create a new category of major offences and impose a reverse onus, requiring the accused to prove why they should be released on bail. Poilievre criticized the current system as "soft on crime" and emphasized that judges would also be mandated to consider the accused’s full criminal history, preventing those with prior major convictions from gaining bail. The Conservative bill has support from police associations and several provincial premiers, including Ontario’s Doug Ford and Alberta’s Danielle Smith. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney and the minority Liberal government plan to introduce their own bail reform legislation this fall, with a focus on stricter bail laws for crimes like home invasion, car theft, and violent and organized crime. The upcoming parliamentary session is expected to feature debate on both the Conservative and Liberal bail reform bills.