On March 27, 2023, CDAS addressed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights at a hearing focused on Canada's Bail System. This Committee was formed in response to the recent letter from the 13 Premiers of the Provinces and Territories seeking bail reform, including reverse onuses for certain offences and offenders.
Director, Garen Arnet-Zargarian testified on behalf of CDAS at the Committee. Other witnesses at this hearing included Greg DelBigio, K.C. (also a CDAS member) on behalf of the Canadian Council of Criminal Defence lawyers, and Melanie Webb on behalf of the Canadian Bar Association.
Briefly, CDAS urged the Committee not to impose further reverse onuses, and instead offered suggestions for how the Government of Canada could help the Provinces understand and prevent the root causes of criminality, such as poverty, addiction, and mental health.
Click here to watch CDAS's Opening Statement and answers to the Committee's questions.