Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
Newfoundland and Labrador's justice minister has asked his federal counterpart to make changes to the Criminal Code that he says will help protect victims of domestic and intimate partner violence.
John Hogan's letter last month to Arif Virani recommends changes to bail and detention rules that could make it harder for those accused of intimate partner violence or domestic violence to be released.
He sent it about a week after a St. John's, N.L., woman was found dead and Ibrahim Alahmad was charged with her murder.
"I write this letter to express my concern over the ongoing epidemic of intimate partner and domestic violence, which continues to plague Canada with too frequent catastrophic effect," Hogan told Virani.
But Lynn Moore, a lawyer who works with survivors of abuse, says there are more effective strategies -- putting ankle monitors on high-risk offenders, for example -- that would keep women safe.
"I believe that there are some men who are very, very violent towards their spouses, and they need to be locked up," she said. "(But) tweaks to the criminal law, while not detrimental, are not the kind of change we need. We need a system overhaul."
Hogan's March 13 letter asked for the "reverse onus" provision on bail to be extended to anyone previously accused of intimate partner violence, so they would be automatically kept in custody unless they could convince a judge it was safe for them to be released.
Under the current rules, this reverse onus only extends to people previously found guilty of intimate partner violence offences.
Alahmad was facing a litany of previous violent charges involving the woman -- whose identity is protected by a publication ban -- including forcible confinement and assault causing bodily harm by choking. He had been out on bail since January, according to court documents.
Hogan said in an interview that if his proposed change had been in place, the onus would have been on Alahmad to prove that he deserved bail, rather than on the Crown prosecutors to prove that he did not.
Hogan's letter also asked that intimate partner and domestic violence, and threats thereof, be added to the list of reasons a person can be detained.
"Newfoundland and Labrador wants to take all possible steps to avoid an increase in offences in which intimate partners and family members are the victims of violence," he wrote. "I feel we need to move quickly to prevent further victimization of some of the most vulnerable people in our society."
The Criminal Code is federal law and can only be changed by members of the federal government.
Moore said many dangerous offenders are still granted bail in reverse onus cases. She would rather see more standardized risk assessment tools used by police to determine which offenders may be most dangerous.
"If you have been choked, then you are at a significantly higher risk of dying from intimate partner violence," she said. "Are the police doing these risk assessments? Are they reporting on their risk assessments to the court?"
Chantalle Aubertin, a spokesperson for Virani, said the federal government updated the Criminal Code in December, broadening the application of reverse onus to people who have previously received a discharge after being found guilty of intimate partner violence. A discharge means the accused has been found guilty but a conviction does not appear on their criminal record.
"Our government is examining how the criminal justice system responds to instances of cases of femicide and how it can be strengthened," Aubertin wrote in an email Wednesday. "Minister Virani himself has publicly stated that he views the current situation as an 'epidemic' requiring immediate action."
She said the federal minister will respond to Hogan's letter "in due course."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2024.
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
Grayson Murray's parents said Sunday their 30-year-old son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from a PGA Tour event.
A 60-year-old woman saw her dreams of becoming the oldest Miss Universe contestant in history melt away in a haze of sequins and selfies Saturday at Argentina’s annual beauty pageant.
Powerful storms killed at least 15 people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.
Two people died after a plane went down in a remote area near Squamish, B.C. on Friday, authorities have confirmed.
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
An unknown Newfoundland soldier, who fought and died on the battlefields in northeastern France during the First World War, is back home this weekend for the first time in more than a hundred years.
Real quick — what did you have for lunch yesterday? Were you with anyone? Where were you? Can you picture the scene? The ability to remember things that happened to you in the past, especially to go back and recall little incidental details, is a hallmark of what psychologists call episodic memory — and new research indicates that it’s an ability humans may share with birds called Eurasian jays.
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
When one is extended an invitation to the Royal Garden Party in London, England, there's undoubtedly no shortage of pomp and circumstance. Barrie, Ont. natives Megan Kirk Chang and her husband Brandon experienced just that as they entered the prestigious event hosted at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
An unlikely celebrity emerged from social media to cheer on the Edmonton Oilers as they face the Dallas Stars tonight in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
The proprietors of Regina's sole discount theatre are aware they're carrying on a significant legacy.
When Jujhar Mann said he wanted to be a pastry chef on a grade school career project, he didn't imagine that pursuing his dream would land him on a popular Netflix baking competition.
A city known for its history, ties to outer space and southern barbecue, is also home to a Winnipeg chef dishing out dozens of perogies.
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Public libraries in Atlantic Canada are now lending a broader range of items.
Flashes of purple darting across the sky mixed with the serenading sound of songs will be noticed more with spring in full force in Manitoba.
Catching 'em all with impressive speed, a 7-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. who only started his competitive Pokémon journey seven months ago has already levelled up to compete at a world championship level.