Nunavik Senator will not support Tory crime bill

Senator Charlie Watt says he won’t support a bill that would eliminate double credit for time served. (PHOTO COURTESY OF SENATOR WATT)

Liberal Senator Charlie Watt rose in the Red chamber last week to declare his opposition to a Conservative bill that would restrict the ability of judges to give convicted offenders extra credit for time served awaiting trial.

“Bill C-25 does not work and will not benefit Inuit, First Nations, Métis offenders, or their communities,”Watt said at an Oct. 7 legal and constitutional affairs committee meeting in the Senate.

Bill C-25, also known as the truth in sentencing act, would “limit the credit a judge may allow for any time spent in pre-sentencing custody in order to reduce the punishment to be imposed at sentencing, commonly called credit for time served.”

Bill C-25 is also known as the “two-for-one” bill because judges often give offenders two days credit for every day they spend in jail before they’re convicted.

The bill, introduced by the Conservatives, would give a maximum credit of one day for each day served in pre-sentencing custody.

In some cases, the bill would allow judges to give 1.5 days for each day of pre-sentencing custody “if the circumstances justify it.”

The Conservatives brought in the bill to reduce delays in the justice system, so that defence lawyers wouldn’t see any advantage in delaying proceedings, and to make communities safer.

Watt said he intends to amend Bill C-25 because aboriginal offenders already serve longer sentences than others and the incarceration rate for aboriginal people is nine times higher than that of non-aboriginals.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission says this is the number one human rights issue facing Canada, Watt noted.

“I believe our constitutional rights are being violated,” Watt said.

Watt’s amendment would keep aboriginal offenders under the current system, which allows judges to award credit for time served.

“Despite the rhetoric we are hearing from the federal government, our communities will not be any safer with the passage of this bill, in fact we’ve heard quite the opposite will happen,” referring to committee testimony from a witnesses such as the John Howard and Elizabeth Fry Societies, as well as the Office of the Correctional Investigator.

“When we have high calibre experts come before the committee and give testimony that says this bill targets aboriginal people and does nothing to help the situation. Don’t ask me to close my eyes and vote for it. I’m here to represent my community,” Watt said.

The bill must still pass the full Senate before it becomes law.