Bill C-267 (Historical)

Respecting Families of Murdered and Brutalized Persons Act

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (increasing the period of parole ineligibility)

This bill was last introduced in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in August 2021.

Sponsor

Eric Duncan  Conservative

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Second reading (House), as of Feb. 22, 2021
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to provide that a person convicted of the abduction, sexual assault and murder of the same victim in respect of the same event or series of events is to be sentenced to imprisonment for life without eligibility for parole until the person has served a sentence of between twenty-five and forty years as determined by the presiding judge after considering the recommendation, if any, of the jury.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Respecting Families of Murdered and Brutalized Persons ActRoutine Proceedings

February 17th, 2021 / 5:45 p.m.
See context

Conservative

Eric Duncan Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-267, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (increasing the period of parole ineligibility).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table my first private member's bill in the House. This is the same private member's bill introduced by my colleague, the member for Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, during previous Parliaments. I am proud to take up this legislation and have him second it.

The legislation would allow courts the discretion to increase parole ineligibility from 25 years up to a maximum of 40 years for the most heinous and horrific crimes in our country. This bill is not about sentencing, but rather about protecting victims' families. This bill aims to limit the exposure of victims' families to the people who abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered their loved ones during automatic parole hearings after 25 years of incarceration and every two years after, despite the fact that they are likely never to be granted parole. Many of these criminals have used their parole hearings as a platform to revictimize the families by recounting their crimes in grotesque detail, seeking to terrorize the families.

This bill has enjoyed support from MPs in other parties in past Parliaments, and I look forward to working with all parties to get this compassionate bill for victims' families across the finish line this time.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)