Canadian Communities Now Safer as Age of Protection and Tougher Laws for Serious Gun Crimes Come into Force

May 01, 2008

Ottawa – Ted Menzies, Member of Parliament for Macleod and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, is pleased to advise that three important provisions of the Tackling Violent Crime Act (Bill C-2) came into force today. The three sections that came into force today do the following:
Raise the age of protection from 14 years to 16 years;

• Provide tougher sentences for serious gun crimes; and
• Ensure that bail provisions better protect the public from gun violence.
  

“This Act contains long-awaited measures that will help protect Canadians against those who commit serious and violent crimes,” said Menzies. “I am pleased to say that the days of soft, lenient penalties are over.”

Two additional provisions of the Tackling Violent Crime Act will come into force on July 2, 2008, completing five important changes to Canada’s Criminal Code to better protect Canadians against those who commit serious and violent crimes.

These two provisions will provide for:

• More effective sentencing and monitoring to prevent dangerous, high-risk offenders from offending again; and
• New ways to detect and investigate drug-impaired driving and stronger penalties for impaired driving.
  

In addition to its comprehensive measures to tackle violent crime and in keeping with its commitment to make Canadian communities safer, the Government of Canada has also:

• Introduced legislation to tackle property theft, including the serious crime of auto theft;
• Passed legislation to increase penalties for those convicted of street racing;
• Passed legislation to end conditional sentences (house arrest) for serious personal injury and violent offences, including sexual assault;
• Introduced a National Anti-Drug Strategy, including legislation that would provide mandatory jail time for serious drug crimes;
• Introduced legislation to strengthen the Youth Criminal Justice Act; and announced a comprehensive review of this Act in 2008;
• Introduced legislation to protect Canadians against identity theft; and
• Invested in crime prevention community projects across Canada that target youth.