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Canada PM Carney to tighten bail rules this fall, targets violent and repeat offenders
Toronto, September 7, 2025:
Prime Minister Mark Carney said his government will table legislation this fall to overhaul Canada’s bail system, introducing tighter rules to keep violent and repeat offenders in custody and allow consecutive sentences for the most serious crimes. The move follows a series of high‑profile incidents that have sharpened public concern over community safety.
At a Friday press conference in Mississauga, Carney said cabinet will bring Criminal Code amendments when Parliament returns, focusing on accused persons in serious cases such as gun offences, break‑ins, and car thefts who are often released shortly after arrest. “People accused of violent crimes should not be in and out of jail within days,” Carney said, pledging “appropriate consequences, including consecutive sentences for the most serious offences.”
Ontario premier Doug Ford, who met Carney ahead of the announcement, urged sweeping changes including more mandatory minimum sentences and tighter Youth Criminal Justice Act provisions. “When someone is charged with a heinous crime, they must remain in custody. People have had enough,” Ford said, adding he will propose immediate licence suspensions for drivers charged with dangerous offences, citing the death of 35‑year‑old Andrew Cristillo in Whitchurch‑Stouffville.
Civil liberties advocates and defence lawyers warned that harsher bail rules could overcrowd jails and disproportionately affect marginalized communities, stressing the presumption of innocence. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre accused Carney of moving too slowly, pointing to a fatal stabbing on a Manitoba First Nation in which the suspect was out on bail.
Police leaders are also pressing for action. Toronto Police Association president Clayton Campbell said he met senior federal ministers to advocate keeping repeat violent offenders in custody and boosting front‑line funding, adding, “The pressure to fix this system is undeniable.”
While the government’s two‑day cabinet retreat in Toronto focused on economic priorities and relations with Washington, the urgency of violent crime has vaulted bail reform to the top of the federal agenda. The bill is expected to be unveiled when MPs return to Ottawa later this month.