TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada’s new justice minister, Arif Virani, has stated that the government will take action to address the heightened sense of insecurity felt by certain sections of the population. Although Virani believes that, “empirically,” Canadians are unlikely to be less safe from crime, he acknowledges that high-profile attacks on public transit have contributed to a perceived lack of security.
Virani, who arrived in Canada as a refugee from Uganda in 1972, was appointed as the justice minister in a recent cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He emphasizes the need for the government to target root causes of criminality such as housing and health.
Statistics Canada reports that the country’s police-reported crime rate increased by 5% in the past year, with the violent crime rate increasing by 2%. Additionally, a survey conducted in April by Leger revealed that nearly two-thirds of Canadians surveyed believed that crime had worsened in their communities.
In recent months, there have been several high-profile attacks on public transit, including the stabbing deaths of a 16-year-old boy at a Toronto subway station and a 17-year-old on a bus in Surrey, British Columbia. Additionally, Calgary police have reported random attacks on transit in the past spring.
Virani, who is a lawyer by profession, will also be responsible for the government’s bail reform legislation, which aims to shift the burden of proof onto defendants seeking pretrial release. He states that there is evidence supporting the need for tighter bail rules, as a “quite unified group of stakeholders” has called for them.
The new justice minister will also handle the issue of medical assistance in dying. The government is currently considering whether to allow advance requests for assisted death and whether to grant access to medical aid in dying for individuals under 18 with decision-making capacity. Starting in March, people with sole underlying mental illness will be allowed to access assisted death.
Virani emphasizes the government’s commitment to balancing autonomy and protection, ensuring that individuals have freedom of choice while also safeguarding vulnerable individuals.
Overall, while Virani believes that Canada is unlikely to become less safe from crime, he acknowledges the need to address the perceived lack of security and target root causes of criminality.
Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto; Editing by Matthew Lewis
Credit: The Star : News Feed
