TORONTO — In advance of his testimony before the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Shakir Rahim, Director of the Criminal Justice Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), made the following statement:
“Bill C-48 will pressure the innocent to plead guilty and worsen the mass incarceration of Indigenous and Black persons. Bail is already being denied at record levels in Canada. There is no evidence that denying more people bail, depriving them of their liberty before a trial, will improve public safety.
We recommend Bill C-48 be amended to require courts to explain how they considered the circumstances of Indigenous, Black, and other overrepresented groups in bail decisions. Courts are required by law to consider these circumstances, but often forget or omit explanations altogether.
We are encouraged by the support of the Indigenous Bar Association and Canadian Association of Black Lawyers for this amendment last week in their testimony.”
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Mr. Rahim will appear for the CCLA today at 4:15 PM ET. Please see the link below to the live broadcast of the proceedings here: https://www.cpac.ca/
Read full submission to the Senate Committee here: CCLA submissions to the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.
Media Contact:
Alex Nanoff – 613.709.6318
Media@ccla.org
About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.
For the Media
For further comments, please contact us at media@ccla.org.
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