If you can’t follow the rules of society, then society shouldn’t have to live with you.
The legislation fits into the Harper government’s tough-on-crime agenda and follows through on a promise made in the 2013 Speech from the Throne.
Can you say ‘wedge’?
Update: The announcement.
This will include a mandatory sentence of life without parole for first degree murders involving:
sexual assault;
kidnapping or forcible confinement;
terrorism;
the killing of police officers or corrections officers; or,
any first degree murders that are found to be of a particularly brutal nature.
The Prime Minister also recently announced the Government’s intention to introduce legislation that would end the practice of making early release available for repeat violent offenders.
cant we all just address the root causes
It’s too bad this legislation wasn’t in place 30 years ago,then the local family whose relatives were murdered by David Shearing wouldn’t have had to make annual trips to his parole hearing.
Some people should never be let out.
Unfortunately, it won’t take long for the left-wing activist lawyers and their law professor friends to challenge this legislation in Court on the grounds that a true life sentence would violate the Charter rights of a convicted murderer. Given the Supreme Court Justices’ track record of substituting their views for Parliaments’, I am guessing that the Supremes will eventually strike down the legislation.
Ottawa MJ
I guess the Bleeding Hearts in Govt will predict this will get the Cons defeated in the next election.
How dare they be so cruel as to lock up the poor souls who are murderous scum bags because it’s not their fault. Ugh!!
I would bet the voters will have a different view of the legislation.
Should be retroactive to include people like Robert Latimer.
Robert Latimer didn’t want his daughter to suffer any more. Right now, as I type this my wife is at the bedside of her 99 y.o. mother who is dying of incurable cancer.Her lymphatic system has shut down so her arms and legs are swollen to double the normal size and of course there is excruciating pain. But her vital organs are still functioning so she is still alive. Even strong pain killers like morphine don’t alleviate the pain. But people like you would probably say you shouldn’t have uthenasia because there are “alternatives”.Really, what are those alternatives? So my wife has to sit there and watch her mother suffer knowing there is nothing she can do or say that will reduce that suffering.My wife loves her mother but wants her to die quickly to end the suffering. I’m sure Mr. Latimer felt exactly the same way about his daughter.
Yeah well, excuse me for not getting all that excited.
A pair of youths, did a series of violent home invasion robberies.
One was arrested and prosecuted.
1st case up the judge: “Well that’s life right there..”
Translation: Out in about4 1/2 years…
8 incidents….sentences added up to 22 years….out in 12….
Yup, I remember that case.
Jog my memory svp – what was the evidence that his daughter was suffering?
I don’t see you say anywhere in your screed that your mother-in-law wants to be killed. Only that you want to kill her so your pain to stop…
My wife loves her mother but wants her to die quickly to end the suffering. I’m sure Mr. Latimer felt exactly the same way about his daughter.
No doubt…why not write it as what would actually happen, you want to kill her?
Horny toad what are crying about? why do you need the gov to approve the death of your mother in law? put a gun with a full magazine in her hand, or put the “pills” next to your mother n laws bed let her know what they are and how she can end it. give her the ultimatum. why do you need a gov to decide? further more why do you need a gov bureaucrat to decide she is allowed to die (with dignity) no dignity in taking your own life. you are a coward in my book if you take your own life.you can inspire people through your fight. But i bet there is a nice pay off for you and your wife once she goes. I hope she lives 10 more years and her health recovers what will you say then? “should a killed when we had the chance eh?” I think it’s funny we have been conditioned by the government to get their approval to live and to die. how pathetic and weak we have become.
As for harper it aint much but its a start!!
Exactly right. They want her to die, but not have any responsibility for it.
Should concentrate first on offenders who are more likely to re-offend than Robert Latimer is. There are enough of them.
[Deleted – ED]
Who should have received a longer sentence strad, homolka or Latimer?
No laws should be retroactive. Retroactive laws run against common law and our history of jurisprudence. Picture the Liberals forming the next government, passing new hate speech laws to be applied retroactively, and throwing us all here at SDA in jail.
The legislation should also have rescinded the right of prisoners to vote. The jailbird vote will always go to the soft on crime Liberals; the convicts will naturally vote in their self-interest.
Who should have received a longer sentence strad, homolka or Latimer?
They both should have been executed.
@hornytoad: I don’t know anything about Latimer. Don’t care to either. But other than that, I empathize and sympathize with you and your wife….. and her 99 year old mother. To those that are critical, I hope you all cling to a painful, degrading, bed ridden, tube connected, painkiller injected, semiconscious sorry life for at least 10 years before dying as punishment for your rigid uncompassionate stance.
This is good news. Up a notch for PM Harper. Now if only he would get rid of more of Bill C-68, and pull the charitable status of so-called Canadian charities with funding from US foundations and foreign interests working to ruin our resource development.
strad, the issue of rape never came up during Latimer’s trial.
Down here in the land South of Canuckistan, we have all but given up on meting
out true justice by making them do the 480 Watusi or sucking the cyanide!
Back in the 70’s liberals had so watered down the criminal sentencing
guidelines, that a first degree murder in the commission of felony meant
the killer could be out in 6 to 7 years.
We reinstituted the death penalty only to find out that any liberal
governor could issue blanket commutations or pardons if the electorate
dared to fail to reelect him! Do not cheer this my friends, if the leaders
of your provinces have pardon power, life without parole means nothing!
South of 34 – our provincial leaders do not have the power to pardon anyone, nor does the Prime Minister. Even the Queen and/or the Governor-General cannot act alone like the U.S. president. There is a process, but it is not based on a whim or a president clearing house before he leaves office. Maybe one of our resident lawyers or self-proclaimed legal experts would care to expand on the requirements as I never had to take advantage of the system.
Latimer’s first instinct was to cover up what actually took place. He lied to the rcmp and only later came clean. As the years passed he liked to present himself as a guy who took the ‘high road’, mercifully ending his suffering daughters life. Painted himself as a hero.
I was unaware of rape allegations?
Didn’t Prime Minister Steve’s first election platform run on reforming sentencing?
How long does this stuff take?
Interesting how some people get so high and mighty about Latimer when they were never in his shoes, likely never attended the trial, and likely never had a child of their own in the condition his daughter was in. Best not to judge those you know nothing about.
Any why do some people feel it so necessary to be such pricks toward @hornytoad? Many people in society have found themselves in the position his wife is in. Had a favourite Uncle who had such severe Alzheimer’s he was just a malfunctioning body without a brain. I was sad beyond belief when he passed away, but I was far more sad that he had to suffer for so damn long.
Bunch of self-righteous pompous schmucks some of you.
The sad part about this is it will probably be top priority for the Liberals/NDP to undo should they win an election.
I was sad…I was far more sad…
I was, I was…that makes the point right there. What about the one actually going through it? This is always more about the emotional pain of the relative or acquaintance than the person suffering the pain.
Just more people ‘doing what’s best’ for other people. In other words, typical leftists.
“Horny toad what are crying about? why do you need the gov to approve the death of your mother in law? put a gun with a full magazine in her hand, or put the “pills” next to your mother n laws bed let her know what they are and how she can end it. give her the ultimatum. why do you need a gov to decide? further more why do you need a gov bureaucrat to decide she is allowed to die (with dignity) no dignity in taking your own life. you are a coward in my book if you take your own life.you can inspire people through your fight”
Wow, I ask for alternatives and look how they come flowing in.And they are so practical too. Like put a gun next to her bed.Ya, that would work. Im sure the hospital shes in would be OK with that. And a jar of pills, that would work well too. Too bad she not strong enough to even feed herself. Another really really practical solution.Dying with dignity. Let me see now. The pain is so excruciating you can hardly move-thats real dignity. Besides the absolute absurdity of your suggestions if we do that its not her choice, its really our choice. And I can tell you that no one would be happier that my wife and our kids if grandma was to live another 10 years. And just to reinforce the absurdity of your suggestions you said you hope she lives another 10 years. Shes 99 now, why didn’t you just say I hope she lives to be 200.It would makes as much sense. And there sure is a lot of inspiration watching someone in so much pain you can almost feel it yourself. Ya, thats inspiring all right.
I can only hope that YOU get the chance to be inspired by your parents or children in a similar manner. come back and tell me how “inspired” you are then.
There was an interesting story today about a blogger who tweeted on TSN that one hockey player was “b*nging” a fellow teammates wife.Apparently its false so TSN is being sued as is the blogger.
So with that in mind Strad, I hope that you either
a) have proof of this
or
b) are using a newspaper story as the basis of your comment.
Because if you just threw it out there to stir the pot…
Oh, and if you had more than a grade 6 education you would know that if you are “convicted ” of a crime you didn’t get off on anything including a technicality.
They have dictionaries where you can look up the meaning of words.Had you done so you might have discovered the word you want is “accused”.
Oh, and if you had more than a grade 6 education you would know that if you are “convicted ” of a crime you didn’t get off on anything including a technicality.
Oh, not even on appeal because of a technicality due to the judge’s handling of the case? The appeal court ruled that Mr. Justice Bayda hadn’t allowed enough examination of the girl’s sexual history, and that he’d rushed the jury’s deliberations.
By the way, the girl was 15 and Latimer was 21…
Maybe higher education isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…
http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/humanrights/endoflife/latimer/1997/02a
Seems as though he has a fairly extensive criminal history.
http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=6f6ab496-8e7b-4913-a9ea-e98cd06b6b50&sponsor=
Latimer killed his daughter because he didn’t want to take care of her anymore.
It’s that simple.
Now, back to this legislation-
ANY violent offense should merit life in prison without parole.
I have no idea why this is even a discussion.
Thank you for clarifying that point. We had a governor (New Mexico I think,)
who issued a blanket pardon of every prisoner on death row in his state because
the voters rejected him in his reelection bid. I am glad you guys are not
saddled with this problem!
OBAMA NEEDS TO GO
So why is a cop’s life more important than a child’s, or any one else for that matter – why the discrimination? Why not life for murder 1 in all cases.
F’n PC has infected tory ranks now.
Yes so true, we have enough of a problem with parts of our society becoming the disappeared. Our government should not be widening the gap of who is more important.
The rape charges against Latimer were thrown out because (as usual) the judge bungled it! The fact is that he didn’t love his wife or his child and was screwing around on them. We wonder why linda Gibbons has spent more time in jail for crossing a judge enforced ‘bubble zone’ around an abortion clinic in B.C., several times. According to David Warren’s blog (Essays in Idleness) she has spent more time in jail than most murderers and child molesters! Trying to imagine what ‘Strad’ said that got him deleted @ 5:41. Doesn’t happen often, here.
It is a good law. Not perfect but good.
Only why killing a cop should be viewed any differently than killing, for example a prostitute (both deserve the same protection)?
Regretful summary; guess you have never been in a similar situation.
Colonialista – Perhaps it is because police put their lives on the line everyday to protect us from the criminal classes. In the case of prostitutes, they are out there to seduce young men, steal from their tricks, and spread filth and disease, corruption and moral contagion. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, as some cops are crooked and some whores are victims. Still, the dissipation of social sanction in these matters (not the person, but the condonation of same) is at the very least, distressing.
@Colonialista
A cop is hired by the public to deal with criminals, to be put in harms way. When the crap hits the fan and everyone is running west, we hire the police to run east to stop the reason why everyone is running west.
That’s why they deserve special consideration.
Nope they do not put their lives on the line, they put our lives on the line. They put our lives on the line when they participate in state’s efforts to disarm us, they put our lives on the line when they f*** up and their friends cover up for them as they always do. On the other hand prostitutes offer a service that some voluntarily purchase. Volenti non fit iniuria. Prostitution involves $ex and money which part are you against?
I do not recall hiring any cops. But I do recall that when the crap hits the fan their priority is to heard people, make impossible for them to return to their property, put spikes on the road and break into people’s houses in order to rob them.
And even if you were right (which of course you aren’t) it still does not explain why their murder is somehow more important than someone else’s murder. They voluntarily choose an easy career that requires lower than average IQ yet pays very well and provides a huge degree of job security. In return they abuse their power and routinely use the system. A lot of other people work in the public sector equally badly (although most similarly paid jobs require somewhat higher IQ – teachers maybe not but most yes) and they do not get the special treatment.
Sorry the above was to LeDa
Colonialista – I want no part in any of it. As has been noted: We, in the modern world, are neither the arrived nor the arriving, in intellectual and cultural attainment – but the departed.
I want no part in it either, although it is the oldest profession so not exactly specific to modern world. Regardless I still can’t see why the life of a cop is more precious than the life of a prostitute. That is all.
And before someone complain that I am comparing cops to prostitutes. I do not. Prostitutes services are voluntary, they dress better and have higher standards of personal hygiene.
Nice theory, but the real world doesn’t support it. A cop’s job is not particularly hazardous, way more people who work in agriculture are killed every year. Nature, machines and animals are also hazardous. Much more so than the people cops deal with. The statistics prove it.
A cops life is not more important. Anyway, cops nowadays are basically overpriced meter maids.