Opposition politicians are joining the chorus of anger after the Supreme Court ruled literal life sentences for killers with multiple victims is unconstitutional, says Blacklock's Reporter..Parliament in 2011 amended the Criminal Code to permit literal life sentences for multiple murderers but Canada's top court on Friday unanimously overturned it..“This is unacceptable,” the Conservative caucus said in a statement..“Canada’s worst murderers must remain locked behind bars.”.“Conservatives are calling on the federal government to use whatever means it has available to them to ensure the perpetrators of mass shootings serve sentences that reflect the severity of their crimes.".The New Democrat caucus also protested the court ruling..“The NDP respects the independence of the court but as federal legislators we have a responsibility to take action to tackle hate, head-on,” it said, adding, “Thoughts and prayers are not enough. We must act.”.The ruling overturned a sentence for Alexandre Bissonnette, a University of Laval student who pleaded guilty to the fatal shooting of six people at Québec City’s Islamic Cultural Centre in 2017. Bissonnette in 2019 was sentenced to prison with no chance of parole for 40 years..The Supreme Court instead imposed a 25-year sentence without parole eligibility..“For offenders who are sentenced to imprisonment for life without a realistic possibility of parole, the feeling of leading a monotonous, futile existence in isolation from their loved ones and from the outside world is very hard to tolerate,” wrote Chief Justice Richard Wagner..Permitting consecutive life sentences multiplied by the number of victims breached Charter protections against cruel and unusual punishment, the court ruled..“Such sentences are degrading in nature and thus incompatible with human dignity,” wrote Wagner..“Let me be very clear. The conclusion that imposing consecutive 25-year parole ineligibility periods is unconstitutional must not be seen as devaluing the life of each innocent victim. Everyone would agree multiple murders are inherently despicable acts and are the most serious of crimes with consequences that last forever. This appeal is not about the value of each human life, but rather about the limits on the state’s power to punish offenders.”.Parliament in 2011 passed Bill C-48 An Act To Amend The Criminal Code granting judges discretion to impose multiple life sentences in cases of multiple killings..“You may disagree and say we shouldn’t be coming down hard on multiple murderers,” then Attorney General Rob Nicolson told a 2011 hearing of the House affairs committee..“That’s your business.”.The bill’s sponsor, then Conservative MP Daniel Petit (Charlesbourg-Haute St. Charles, QC), parliamentary secretary for justice, told the Commons in 2010 that “many Canadians share my view the current parole ineligibility period of 25 years for murder set out in Canadian law symbolically devalues the lives of multiple victims.”.“In this regard, the current state of the law lays itself open to the charge that multiple murderers in Canada received a volume discount for their crimes,” said MP Petit.
