Vancouver: BC’s Solicitor General Mike Farnworth says the province is “encouraged” that the federal government has agreed to amend the Criminal Code to ensure repeat violent offenders are held in custody until their trials.
Farnworth says he’s sure the province’s jails will be able to handle any additional pressure the changes may cause.
Attorney General Niki Sharma says federal Justice Minister David Lametti has agreed to “move quickly” on bail reform, and it could happen as early as this spring.
But Sharma says the province is treading carefully to ensure changes to the bail system don’t get in the way of B-C initiatives that aim to reduce the over incarceration of Indigenous people and other racialized groups.