07/16/2026
Alarming Increase in Crime Rates Leaves Canadian Communities on Edge
In 2019, the Liberal government brought forward Bill C-75, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act, and other Acts. The bill received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019 (during the last Parliament with Prime Minister Trudeau).
One of the key aspects of Bill C-75 was the alleged “modernization” and clarification of bail provisions. Bail is the pre-trial release of accused persons and is specifically mentioned in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in section 11(e) which provides that accused persons are “not to be denied reasonable bail without just cause.”
In “modernizing” bail, the Liberal government’s objective was to create a "ladder principle" in bail, encouraging the release of accused individuals at the earliest reasonable opportunity and reducing the unnecessary incarceration of vulnerable populations. It was hoped that reformed bail would combat overrepresentation of Indigenous persons and those with mental health/addiction issues in remand centres.
The Liberal government took its cue from the Supreme Court of Canada case of R. v. Antic, 2017 1 SCR 509. In that case, Chief Justice Richard Wagner writing for the Court, stated that the “bottom line so far has been that remand populations and denial of bail have increased dramatically in the Charter era.”
The Court emphasized a number of key principles and guidelines to apply in a contested bail hearing, including that releasing the accused without conditions should be the default position when granting release and that “release is favoured at the earliest reasonable opportunity on the least onerous grounds.”
Since Bill C-75 was passed into law, police-reported violent crime in Canada has increased from 39% to 50%. Auto theft has increased by 38% over the last decade and in the GTA, break and enters have increased by nearly 50% in 2025 including smash and grabs at jewelry stores. A constant refrain is that the accused(s) were out on bail for other dangerous crimes.
Lax bail laws have caused our country to devolve into violence and crimes the likes of which we have never seen in Canada. Our standard of living has decreased and we are not safer in our communities.
Everyone should contact their MP or MLA and demand the repeal of Bill 75.
