Doug Ford says he wants to livestream bail hearings as he announces new jail

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks to the media at Queen's Park in Toronto on Wednesday, January 21, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday his government is exploring the idea of live-streaming bail hearings to the public.

“We know we need to do more to fix the broken bail system and protect our province,” Ford said at a news conference Monday.

“That’s why we’re exploring new measures to bring our bail system out into the open by live streaming bail hearings, which right now are not accessible to the public except for people who go in-person.”

The evidence presented during bail hearings is typically covered by publication bans. Ford did not immediately say how livestreaming them would be possible in light of that.

Ford also said he wants to see mandatory written justification when bail is granted to a violent offender “to ensure clear reasoning is provided with greater consistency in decisions and easier public review.”

He said that in order to do that, the province would need to create “an anonymous regional dashboard to identify bias, promote accountability, and restore public confidence.”

Ford has long railed against what he sees as lax bail laws. Police have also complained about so-called “catch and release” bail laws that allow many criminals to get back out on the street in short order after being arrested.

Ford said he plans to discuss the idea further with Attorney General Doug Downey and Solicitor General Michael Kerzner in the coming weeks.

The federal government has primary jurisdiction over bail laws in Canada.

“We need the federal government to follow through with their promise to reform Canada’s broken bail system and keep repeat offenders behind bars,” Ford said.

His comments come as he announced a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to build the new Brockville Correctional Complex and expand the St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre.

The province says the project will add 295 correctional beds in Eastern Ontario as part of its plan to add 1,436 new correctional beds across Ontario by 2032.

“When violent and repeat offenders break the law, Ontarians expect them to be held accountable,” Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said in a statement.

“That’s why our government is strengthening bail laws and making generational investments to expand correctional capacity across Ontario, so that we always have room to keep offenders behind bars and off our streets.”

The province says the expansion of correctional facilities will help ensure criminals are not released due to a lack of space.

The Ford government has been ramping up its advocacy around law and order issues recently. Last week Downey wrote to his federal counterpart asking for changes that would legally allow people to carry and use pepper spray for self-defence. He also said he wants to see mandatory collection of DNA from suspects arrested for sexual offences.

In a statement to CTV News Monday, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police said the organization was not consulted on the pepper spray recommendation.