By Cheryl Jahn

bail reform

Bail reform gets mixed reviews

Jul 10, 2025 | 3:27 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – BC’s former solicitor general is calling on the federal government to make further changes to bail laws to address the harm being done by repeat offenders. It’s been an issue for some time, with the former solicitor general saying its about time.

“The system is designed to find a resolution other than court time,” says Mike Morris. “And if you can deal the case away, if you can find some way not to take it through the system, because it costs money and it takes prosecutor time. But I think over the years, that has led to a deficiency in our prosecution services, in dealing with trials.”

But the legal community says treading down this road can be tricky.

“The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled in two cases very recently that bail is essentially a constitutional guarantee,” says Kyla Lee, attorney with Acumen Law. “And it is only as a last resort that somebody can be held in custody pending the outcome of their case. And even before that, it’s the last resort, before custody is cash bail. So we’re looking at a very high standard to actually keep somebody’s liberty restricted in a way that prevents them from participating in society.”

As a former RCMP officer and superintendent, the so-called catch and release attitude of the courts is frustrating.

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“It’s demoralizing. Demoralizing to police officers,” says Morris. “I’ve got two sons in the in the RCMP. I hear about it all the time. They put so much effort and so much professionalism into the investigation itself to make sure they meet all the standard operating procedures and the investigative guidelines, only to have it overcome and the individual out on the street even before the paperwork is complete.”

Morris says he suspects its just as frustrating for those in the justice system, who lack the resources to do their jobs. But Lee says the problem goes way deeper than simply reforming the bail system.

“I agree that, from the police perspective, there does seem to be an uptick in people who are facing repeat offenses, people who are released and then breach very quickly after release. But this is a symptom. It’s not the problem itself. It’s a symptom of a larger problem we have in society of not providing the structural support that people need to not be in a position to re-offend. People who are experiencing homelessness or people who are underhoused, people who are living in poverty and are unable to pay for their groceries, people who are facing mental health issues or addiction.”

Morris says it is a broken system. And a dangerous one.

“I think there are two elements. I think the courts have recognized that, in the past, is to ensure that the administration of justice does not fall into disrepute. And I believe that it has. And public safety is the other one. And I think public safety has been jeopardized writ large right across the country by releasing these prolific and violent offenders time after time after time. And the number of victims that we see across the nation and every community is exploding.”