After hearing from 110 witnesses over eleven days and over fifty hour the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs study on Bill C-10 is now complete.
The Liberal Senators introduced 17 amendments and unfortunately none of these were adopted.
I worked on three amendments addressing the issue of mandatory minimum punishment. My amendments can be summarized as follows:
1. A general safety valve to give judges discretion in exceptional circumstances;
2. That the wording of s.718 and Gladue principle be taken into account with regards to Aboriginal person;
3. That people suffering with mental disorders be able to get treatment first and then be sentenced.
I enclose my amendments for your easy reference. If you would like to see the other fourteen amendments they can be found on my Facebook page by clicking on the attached link: http://on.fb.me/ztNpWw
Bill C-10 will now go for third reading to the Senate Chamber where it will be debated. I will be speaking in the Senate and will share my speech with you.
I will be tweeting what happens in the Chamber and you can follow my tweets at http://www.twitter.com/senjaffer
Thank you for your continued support. I look forward to working with you in the future.
Sincerely,
Honourable Mobina S.B. Jaffer, Q.C.
Senator for British Columbia