Members of the media may directly contact the following experts on this topic:
Justin Piché (English and French)
Full Professor, Department of Criminology, Faculty of Social Sciences
Professor Piché’s research interests include the costs of imprisonment and alternatives to incarceration.
“In the wake of horrific acts of violence allegedly committed by people who are on bail awaiting their day in court or who are serving sentences in the community, politicians have had the reflex of blaming the courts or current federal legislation while proposing measures to lock-up more people, for longer periods of time, with fewer chances of release – an approach that has long proven to be incredibly costly in the short-term and ineffective in the long-run. Amid calls for more “jail, not bail” all levels of government should be investing in less costly and more effective ways to prevent victimization upstream, while providing tangible supports for victims and criminalized people that actually enhance our collective well-being safety."
Michael Law-Smith (English only)
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law - Common Law Section
Professor Law-Smith’s primary research interests are in criminal law and procedure, with a particular focus on questions at the intersection of criminal law and political and legal philosophy. His work explores topics including mass incarceration, criminal trials, algorithmic sentencing, and prosecutorial misconduct.
“The new bail reform bill is understandable in light of growing public concern about crime and community safety. However, it remains unclear whether these measures will be effective and whether they are consistent with Canadians’ constitutional rights, particularly the presumption of innocence and the right to reasonable bail.”
Jennifer Quaid (English and French)
Full Professor, Faculty of Law - Civil Law Section
Professor Quaid can discuss the reforms in the context of criminal law and sentencing.
“In seeking to restrict access to bail in a greater number of circumstances, is crucial that these restrictions be anchored to the evidence of current practices, not fear-mongering. It concerns me that support for the principle of restraint has eroded as denial of bail should be the exception not the rule in a system based on the presumption of innocence. A vital element not addressed in the announcement is any plan to fund the collection of statistics about bail by the provinces, which is essential to assess the efficacy of the proposed measures going forward.”