Certainly.
It is particularly troublesome that there is such a significant interest and effort put into the development and carrying forward of bills, such as this one and Bill C-10, that are based firmly on an outmoded paradigm of justice. It is as if we are looking at a black and white reel-to-reel movie that the Minister of Justice is trying to tell us is state-of-the-art, yet we can go home and watch a high-definition full-colour movie on my big screen. In MCCC's experience and in the experience of the programs MCC Canada works with, Bill C-9 is a reflection of a failure to see justice in full colour.
MCC Canada recommends that the government expand the use of conditional sentencing. In this it will be necessary to expand the role of the victim throughout the justice process and expand the resources available to victims and to the programs that provide necessary justice services, such as restorative justice programs.
MCC Canada calls on the Government of Canada to actively work towards a criminal justice system that moves beyond an adversarial legal system to one that will deliver justice through active mutual processes that involve victims of crime, their offenders, and their communities.
We call you to a creative and courageous response that will honour the rich faith traditions of Canada's citizens, the best in our legal tradition, the wisdom provided by first nations, and the academic knowledge developed as a result of the harsh lessons we have been confronted with. Stories like the Marasco's demand no less from us.
Thank you.