Federal bail bill becomes law as two other crime bills await passage

Minister of Justice Sean Fraser speaks during a news conference after C-14, the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, received royal assent in the House of Commons on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

OTTAWA — Justice Minister Sean Fraser said Tuesday he hopes all three of the crime bills introduced by the Liberal government become law before Parliament rises for the summer.

Bail Bill C-14 received royal assent and became law on Monday, in what is likely the last sitting week of the spring session.

Fraser told reporters Monday the bill was “designed to target some of the most frequent causes of concern we hear in our engagement with communities across Canada.”

He said the bill responded to the most pressing concerns he heard from provinces, mayors and law enforcement.

The legislation makes it more difficult to get bail for a variety of crimes, including some vehicle thefts, extortion and human trafficking offences, by imposing a reverse onus on bail. That moves the burden of proof from the prosecutor to the accused, meaning they would have to justify being granted bail.

It also allows for consecutive sentences for repeat violent offences, vehicle theft, breaking and entering, extortion and arson.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities welcomed the passage of the legislation.

“In communities of all sizes, local governments, police, firefighters, paramedics and other front-line responders witness daily the strain repeat offending places on public safety, essential services, residents, workers and local businesses,” president Tim Tierney said in a statement.

“This legislation responds to long-standing local concerns, and municipal leaders are ready to do their part to deliver lasting results.”

B.C.’s attorney general Niki Sharma said in a statement the bill addresses reforms her province has been advocating for.

Sharma said she was “especially encouraged by changes to reverse-onus bail provisions, one of B.C.’s top priorities in our proposals to the federal government. Too many families in British Columbia have experienced devastating loss because of repeat violence.”

The statement said B.C. looks forward to the passage of Bill C-16 as well. That bill would restore mandatory minimum imprisonment penalties and criminalize coercive control and non-consensual sexual deepfakes. It’s still in front of the Senate.

Fraser told reporters Tuesday it could also get royal assent this week.

“We expect, by the end of the week, we could see the Combating Hate Act, which is being debated in Parliament behind me at this very moment, and the Protecting Victims Act, which is at the final stages of the Senate, to potentially become law,” he said.

The House of Commons is currently considering amendments made by the Senate to hate crime Bill C-9. It creates new offences for intimidating or obstructing someone outside a religious or cultural institution, among other measures.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2026.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press