Justice Minister Sean Fraser says federal bail and sentencing reform that will target the “most frequent” issues seen across the country is now law.
The Bail and Sentencing Reform Act received royal assent Monday evening and creates 80 changes surrounding bail and sentencing to the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) and the National Defence Act.
Among the changes is a new reverse onus for several offences that require the accused to prove why they should be released on bail, expanding the reverse onus to cover offenders with previous convictions within the previous 10 years and consecutive sentences for repeat violent offenders in certain cases.
In addition, the new law also requires courts to impose weapons restrictions and other stricter conditions for certain offences — including auto theft and organized crime — and “consider whether the allegations involve random or unprovoked violence when making any bail decision.”
Repeat violent offenders will also face aggravating factors that can increase their sentence under the legislation.
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“This is a piece of legislation that is part of the government’s public safety strategy designed to make communities across this country safer,” Fraser said to reporters on Parliament Hill Tuesday afternoon.
“It has a unique focus, of course, on both bail and sentencing, with specific measures that are designed to target some of the most frequent causes of concern we hear in our engagement with communities across Canada, whether that’s auto theft or home invasion, whether it’s extortion, whether it is trafficking or whether it is assault or sexual assault.”
Fraser also stated that direct financial support will be provided to provincial governments “to help better collect data in a standardized way when it comes to bail systems in this country.”
In addition, Fraser said he is speaking with provincial governments to fill two dozen job vacancies for judges that are currently empty, but is allowing provinces to make their own decisions regarding the capacity needed to deal with those who will be incarcerated.
“I would be careful not to paint all provinces and territories with a single brush because they’re in unique sets of circumstances that don’t necessarily reflect the experience of one province in a neighbouring province,” he said.
The Liberals tabled the bill on Oct. 23, 2025, after Fraser said on the same day that the “sweeping reforms” came after “extensive consultations” with police, governments and community organizations.
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