Calgary Nose Hill MP Michelle Rempel Garner says that the Conservative Party will move to eliminate what she calls a “two-tier” justice system by prohibiting judges from factoring in a non-citizen's immigration status when determining sentences.Speaking to reporters in Ottawa Wednesday, Rempel Garner announced that the Conservatives plan to table a private member’s bill when Parliament resumes in the fall, although she did not confirm which MP would formally introduce it..“When it comes to sentencing non-citizens, Canada has essentially adopted a form of two-tier justice where judges can and have given lighter sentences to non-citizens,” Rempel Garner said. “This offends all principles of fairness that should be integral to our justice system..Garner pointed to recent cases where immigration status played a decisive role in sentencing. She specifically cited the December 2023 case of Akashkumar Khant, who admitted to attempting to buy sex from a 15-year-old girl. An Ontario judge granted Khant a conditional discharge rather than a criminal conviction, reasoning that “a conviction would lead to severe collateral consequences, such as jeopardizing his immigration status, delaying his citizenship, and preventing him from sponsoring his wife.”Under current law, Canadian judges are allowed to consider an offender’s immigration status when sentencing, in some cases imposing lighter sentences to help avoid deportation consequences under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. “Anyone seeking residence or citizenship in Canada has responsibilities as well as rights,” Rempel Garner added. Parliament is set to resume on September 15th, 2025.
